Sports ended the season in style with a fine win at the Bob Lucas Stadium. We were hampered in our team choice with no goalkeeper available for selection. Two keepers suspended, one at university and one playing cricket left us with a bit of a problem but the management team came up with a game plan which worked perfectly although we did have a couple of scares along the way. Matt Watson, presumably because he is the tallest, was selected as goalkeeper for the day and Wes Gullin stepped in to Matt's normal position at centre half. We then opted for a narrow back four screened by Sam Gibbs and Nick Wilton with the flanks protected by Steve Flynn and Josh Payne, allowing Louis Irwin to get forward and support lone frontman Leo Hayward when he could. Not such an attacking formation as we usually play but one picked to do a job on the day. In the opening couple of minutes Weymouth were knocking the ball around mainly in their own half but when they tried to venture into Westlands territory they ran into a brick wall. Matt Watson then got to handle the ball for the first time and he hoofed a long ball deep into Weymouth's half. Their defence didn't deal with it and LEO HAYWARD was on to the ball in a flash, running through and slotting it past the keeper to put us 1-0 up. A minute later we almost went two up ! We were awarded a free kick 25 yards out and Leo Hayward, who was looking in the mood, thumped a free kick over the wall which cannoned off the crossbar and was cleared.

Weymouth were a bit shell-shocked and Sports turned the screw in the 15th minute with goal number 2. Nick Wilton won the ball in midfield and passed to Louis Irwin who in turn fed LEO HAYWARD out on the left. Leo cut inside the defender onto his right foor and drove the ball into the corner for a tidy finish. The game then took on a familiar pattern of Weymouth having a lot of the ball but not able to break down Sports defence, and Westlands, when they won possession, breaking fast to put the home defence under pressure. Just before the break a clever ball from Louis Irwin split the Weymouth defence and Leo Hayward sprinted clear. Unfortunately the Weymouth keeper was fast off his line and he made a good block to clear the danger.

So 2-0 to Westlands at half-time and it could have been more. The team had defended well and had protected rookie keeper Matt Watson well as he had hardly had a touch in the first half. Nevertheless we knew there were more goals coming in this game so an exciting second half was in prospect.

Player/Manager Stu Smith clears under pressure from a Weymouth attacker

Westlands made a disappointing start to the second half. We knew Weymouth would be fired up and come at us hard for the first ten minutes so we had to concentrate and get through that period. Well, we did the exact opposite, conceding after only two minutes. A long free kick to the far post saw a Weymouth player unmarked and he headed the ball goalwards. Matt Watson got a hand to it but the rebound was bundled over the line. A sloppy goal to lose but we were still in front and we were able to steady the ship for a bit after this setback. In the 55th minute Louis Irwin tried to lob the keeper but got too much elevation on his shot and it cleared the bar. A minute later Josh Payne latched on to a Sam Gibbs free kick but his shot went wide of the far post. In the 60th minute Chris Wells took the field as replacement for Steve Flynn who had done an excellent job protecting that right flank. Then in the 70th minute we extended our lead to two again. Louis Irwin made a surging run into the box and was brought down for a penalty. LEO HAYWARD made no mistake with the kick to complete a fine hat-trick and cement his position as top goalscorer this season. Going into the last 15 minutes things were beginning to get hard for Sports. We were playing on a big pitch against a fit side and it was noticeable we were beginning to drop deeper into our own half. In the 75th minute they pulled one back. A driven cross to the near post was deflected into the far corner by the big Weymouth number 9. Weymouth smelt blood now and we were a bit lucky when a free kick from ex-Westlands favourite Szymon Matuszewski came off the underside of the bar, hit keeper Matt Watson in the face and bounced to safety. Four minutes later, in the 80th minute came the equaliser. We failed to clear a high diagonal cross and their lad let fly from nearly 30 yards and the shot deceived keeper Matt Watson and he could only help it into the net. With 10 minutes to go and Sports rocking, things didn't look great but credit to the spirit of the Westlands players, they summoned up some energy from somewhere and hit straight back with the winner. Phil Wells pushed forward to support an attack and he played LOUIS IRWIN in with a fine pass. Louis let fly and although the keeper got a hand to the ball he could only push it into the top corner of the net. Back came Weymouth and Szymon Matuszewski had another attempt from a free kick which hit the bar and went over. The final action saw Leo Hayward shoot just over the top.

Make no mistake this was an excellent win for Westlands against a good side and they can be proud of their performance. It was a tactical triumph really and the lads showed great discipline to carry out the managers instructions to a T. OK we had a few rocky moments but this was a great way to end the season, well done to everyone involved !

Another lovely sunny evening at Alvington and with the pitch looking a picture we were all set for a good game. Sports were without a few regulars including player/manager Stu Smith so a few of the reserves were drafted in. Matt Watson returned after suspension and Will Ireland and Sam Plumley were given starting positions with Jamie Green and Wes Gullin on the bench.

Westlands came out of the blocks fast and soon had the visitors on the defensive. Leo Hayward had the first shot on target after 4 minutes which the keeper saved. It was almost all Westlands for the first 15 minutes but gradually Shaftesbury began to get a foothold in the game and Sports defence were tested with a couple of blocks and a save from Sam Watts from a free kick. The two tall Shaftesbury midfielders, numbers 4 & 8, were beginning to dominate in the middle of the park at this stage and we were kept busy defending the edge of our box. Westlands, however were always dangerous in attack and after half an hour Josh Payne almost opened the scoring when he had a shot headed off the line with the keeper beaten. Ten minutes later the diminutive Shaftesbury number 9 kept a ball in play that looked as if it was going out and Sam Watts saved the day with a good stop. Then, with half-time only a few minutes away, we took the lead. Josh Payne, who was proving a big problem for the visitors defenders, dribbled to the bye line and drilled the ball across the face of goal where LEWIS HOWCHIN was on the spot to thump it into the back of the net.

What a good way to end the first half and from what we had seen so far this game was still nicely poised although at 1-0 the dice were loaded towards Westlands. Although Shaftesbury had been on top for a spell they hadn't really caused us too many problems and we always looked to have a bit more of a cutting edge.

Again as the second half began, Shaftesbury dominated possession of the ball but they couldn't break down a well organised Westlands defence who were getting numbers behind the ball and keeping a good shape. In the 48th minute Josh Payne made a good run into the Shaftesbury box and drove his shot just wide of the post. The warning signs were there for the visitors but they just couldn't contain Josh who made another storming run through the back line but saw the keeper block his final shot. On the hour mark Shaftesbury had a good attempt which flew just past the post. At this stage Sports replaced Matt Watson and Nat Carney with Jamie Green and Wes Gullin. A couple of minutes later it was 2-0. Sam Gibbs delivered a nice free kick into the box and LEO HAYWARD banged in a shot which took a wicked deflection and left the keeper stranded. This goal knocked the stuffing out of the visitors and Sports began to turn the screw. In the 66th minute the was a mighty melee in the Shaftesbury goalmouth which saw them eventually scramble the ball away. In the 75th minute Josh Payne headed just wide from a Sam Gibbs cross and two minutes later the Shaftesbury keeper saved another effort fromJosh. A goal was coming and in the 79th minute JAMIE GREEN volleyed a Josh Payne cross into the ground and it bounced into the far corner to make it 3-0. A minute later we made it 4-0. A corner was driven over from the right and JAMIE GREEN got up well to plant a header into the net giving him 2 goals in as many minutes. That was game over but in the dying minutes we almost spoiled our clean sheet by leaving a Shaftesbury player unmarked in front of goal but fortunately he headed wide from 10 yards with only the keeper to beat.

The final whistle sounded the end of Westlands home games for the season and it was nice to sign off with a good win. A good team display with a few good individual performances thrown in made it a satisfactory evening.

It was a bit windy down on the south coast and with the pitches now hard and bumpy we weren't expecting a feast of football. In actual fact, although there was only one goal, both teams served up a good game of football from start to finish.

Sports were without Matt Watson, Sol Carney, Sam Beard and Sam Carney from last week and they were replaced by Nick Wilton, Lewis Howchin, Louis Irwin and Steve Flynn with Will Ireland making a welcome return to the bench after his sabbatical "down under". The home side settled quickest and and moved the ball around quite nicely using the width of the big pitch to their advantage. It took Sports 5 minutes to get to grips with the opposition but when we launched our first real attack we could have scored. Josh Payne, who looked in the mood, thumped a shot goalwards which the keeper did well to turn round the post for a corner. From the kick, Josh got his head to the ball only to see his effort cleared off the line. A minute later a pin-point diagonal ball from Sam Gibbs picked out Josh Payne in behind the Swanage backline but he skewed his shot wide when it looked easier to score. The next chance fell to Swanage when they were awarded a free kick at the edge of our box. The first shot was blocked and when the ball was played back into the goalmouth Sam Watts had to get down quick to block a shot. It was a decent spell for the home side and another powerful shot came off the Sports crossbar and was cleared. As half-time approached Josh Payne, who was causing the Swanage defenders all sorts of problems, tried to dribble past an opponent inside our own half and lost possession. We were immediately punished when the Swanage lad had a pop at goal and the ball flew into the back of the net. That was the last action before the break and although we were annoyed to lose a soft goal we knew there was nothing in the game and we could turn it round in the second half.

Ten minutes in we made a substitution with Will Ireland replacing Steve Flynn and as the half developed it was Westlands who were now on the front foot. In the 58th minute Louis Irwin drove into the box and was brought down. Looked a clear penalty to me but the referee waved play on. Sports really were on top now and in the 65th minute Josh Payne just failed to get his foot to a Sam Gibbs free kick when perhaps a diving header would have paid dividends. Then Leo Hayward had a chance but he got under it and skied it over. The minutes were ticking away and it was beginning to look like one of those days when the break will just not come your way. In the dying minutes Nick Wilton, who had looked strong for Sports all game, broke down the left wing and crossed for Leo Hayward who unfortunately rushed the shot and skied it into the trees behind the goal.

That was our last chance and Swanage held on fairly comfortably for the last few minutes to secure the points. So, another defeat for Sports and although we did not play badly we let the game slip away and came home empty handed again.

Lovely sunny day, pitch a bit hard and bumpy, and an unchanged Westlands side after the good win against Tintinhull. We also had a strong bench with Lewis Howchin, Louis Irwin and Nick Wilton taking their places in the dugout. The danger today was complacency as we were in a decent run of form and playing one of the bottom sides is not always our strong point.

Hamworthy are a young side and they very quickly settled and played some nice football forcing us on to the back foot for the first five minutes or so. Sports were looking a bit sloppy but amazingly, in our first real attack, we took the lead in the 7th minute. Leo Hayward picked up the ball out on the right, fed it inside to JOSH PAYNE who ran into the box and smashed a shot past the keeper. Hopefully this would settle Sports down but there was no real improvement in our play and Hamworthy continued to have the upper hand. Although our opponents had most of the possession, they were not really troubling our keeper so it began to look as if this was a game where we could grind out a result without playing that well. In the 23rd minute it certainly looked as if that was the case when we scored again. A long pass over the top saw JOSH PAYNE outmuscle the last defender to the ball and thump the ball into the back of the net. With a 2-0 lead we were still looking fairly comfortable at the back until we gave the opposition a way back in the 34th minute. A soft free kick was given away on the edge of our own box and the lad shot for goal. Sam Watts appeared to have the ball covered but it took a bit of a swerve and flew past his hands into the back of the net. Sports were not playing well and some frustration was setting in. Sol Carney got himself booked for dissent and this silly moment was to prove crucial later in the game. As half time approached we saw our slender lead disappear in the 44th minute. A mix-up between defenders gave the opposition an easy opportunity to score which they took. Another soft goal to lose and although it was probably offside the defending leading up to the chance was poor.

At half time we were disappointed to have surrendered a 2 goal lead but on reflection Hamworthy had been easily the better side so probably to be on level terms was a bit of a bonus. We knew Sports could step it up so there was some confidence we could still get a result here.

The second half started promisingly with a good run and shot by Leo Hayward showing our intent. A minute later however, disaster struck. Sol Carney hacked down his opponent just outside the box and picked up his second yellow of the match resulting, of course, in a red. Down to 10 men and with 43 minutes remaining things now didn't look too clever for Sports but we had a strong bench and perhaps some fresh legs and minds might help our cause. Sam Carney, Sam Beard and Nat Carney were replaced by Lewis Howchin, Louis Irwin and Nick Wilton as Westlands tried to salvage something from the game. Nick Wilton immediately made his mark by barging an opponent and picking up a yellow card but Westlands, with 10 men were now having their best spell of the game. A Leo Hayward shot was saved as Josh and Leo, supported now by Louis Irwin, began to put the home defence under pressure. Sam Gibbs then had a shot saved as Sports pushed men forward looking for a winner. Heading into the closing minutes It looked as if we were tiring a bit and Hamworthy put a bit of pressure on. Sam Watts had to look sharp to save when a shot ricocheted off Matt Watson. We now needed bodies behind the ball but we looked as if we were playing with 3 forwards and the midfield were being overrun. In the dying minutes there was a scramble in the Westland penalty box and although we blocked several attempts, we were outnumbered and the ball eventually ended up in the back of the net. I made it the 90th minute when we lost that goal but there was still time for Matt Watson to pick up 2 yellow cards and get himself sent off. The first was for throwing the ball away and the second was for leading with the arm when going up for a header. Both soft yellows, very frustrating.

Anyway the final whistle ended a topsy turvy match that had been ours for the taking but you can't help feel we threw away. Hamworthy didn't really have a cutting edge so to lose three goals to them was poor. Perhaps also when down to 10 men and entering the last 5 minutes we should have got men behind the ball and settled for the point. All in all a poor display, some disciplinary issues, and another loss to a bottom side.

Tintinhull started brighter and had the majority of the territory & possession for the first five minutes without creating any real chances.

Westland's started to get into the game and took the lead when a quick break led to Leo Hayward being put clear down the right. Approaching goal from a tight angle his cause was made easier when the Tintinhull keeper slipped allowing LEO HAYWARD to pass the ball into an unguarded net.

It wasn't long before Tintinhull were back on level terms. A corner into the box and our ex youth team player Sam Smith was first with the flick on at the near post. A soft goal to concede.

We were now starting to dominate possession and it wasn't long before we retook the lead. After winning the ball at the back Matt Watson laid it off and carried on running into the opposition half. He obviously knew what he was doing as when the ball was finally crossed into the box by Josh Payne, MATT WATSON was on hand to head it home.

Westlands continued to push and scored again before half time when after a promising move broke down Tinmen skipper Ollie Pearson passed the ball back to his keeper only to find he wasn't where he thought and watched as the ball trickled agonisingly into the empty net for an OG.

The second half was very much dominated by Westlands with plenty of possession and apart from some long balls not too much to deal with at the back.

The fourth goal came from a nice move by Sports which ended with Sam Gibbs hitting a shot from the edge of the box. As with most of Gibbo's shooting it could have gone anywhere but in this instance we were fortunate that it found the feet of CALLUM THOMPSON who tapped home from 2 yards out.

The final goal came in the last seconds, a penalty given for a shirt pull. SAM GIBBS duly dispatched the spot kick with great assurance to make the final score a resounding 5-1 to Westlands !

Its only a couple of weeks since we were playing on muddy pitches but here we were faced with a hard, bumpy pitch and a strong wind blowing end to end. We had a few changes to make with manager Stu Smith unavailable, Nick Wilton suspended and Lewis Howchin injured. Sam Carney, Sam Beard and Leo Hayward were starters and Sol Carney returned to the bench.

In the opening few minutes it was the home team who took the initiative with the wind behind them and they soon had us pinned back in our own half. The hard conditions were definitely not suiting our short passing game and the home sides more direct approach looked like the right one for the conditions. And so it proved in the 17th minute when they took the lead. A long ball out of defence caught Sports defence square and 2 of their players ran through and one squared for the other to score. A poor goal to lose so we had to dig in now and make sure we kept it at one. We managed to do this pretty well and mounted a few attacks of our own to keep them on their toes. On the half hour mark one of our raids into their half produced an equaliser. Leo Hayward made a strong run down the right taking out a couple of their defenders and when he slung over a pin-point cross to the far post LOUIS IRWIN was there to knock it in. That goal gave us a bit of a boost and although still on the defensive we were mounting some dangerous attacks on the break. In the 40th minute a good run and cross by Josh Payne presented Sam Gibbs with a good chance but he couldn't get his shot on target. The thought was now that if we could get through to half time on level terms we would have done an excellent job. Unfortunately that was not to happen as in those last few minutes before half time the wheels came off and we conceded two soft goals. Both were identical to the first with big long balls upfield sailing over our static defence and Wareham players running through to score unchallenged. So disappointing to lose goals in this way and to keep making the same mistakes was poor.

So, 3-1 down at half-time but we had seen enough of the opposition to give us some confidence for the second half. Their long ball tactic would not be so effective agaiinst the wind and we knew if we could get a goal they might get a bit nervous.

As the second half settled down it was Westlands who were on the front foot and it looked as if Wareham were happy with what they had and were going to get numbers behind the ball and make it difficult for us. They were also adopting a deep defensive line which made the ball over the top, which had been so productivee for them in the first half, an ineffective option. So we had to be patient and keep the pressure on. That is exactly what we did and eventually, in the 64th minute we got our reward. Louis Irwin smashed in a shot which came off the post and rebounded to LEO HAYWARD who kept his cool and steered his shot into the back of the net. We were on top but Wareham had the odd attack which our defence coped with fairly competently. We kept plugging away and with 10 minutes to go Louis Irwin looked to have the goal at his mercy but the ball bobbled up and he shinned his shot but it still beat the keeper, came back off the post, hit the keeper on the back and went for a corner. We were looking at our watches now and with 89 minutes on the clock we scored the equaliser ! Josh Payne ran at the tiring Wareham defence one more time, driving into the box and his cross was met on the run by LOUIS IRWIN at the far post and he slammed the ball into the back of the net. Great joy all round and I think justice was done. It was a game unfortunately spoiled by a strong wind and bobbly pitch but both teams played hard and a draw was a fair outcome. Although happy with the point those two goals we conceded in that crazy four minutes before half time still rankled as it was a game we could have won.

Possibly for the first time this season it was an unchanged Westlands team that took the field to face bottom side Sturminster Marshall. Even the three subs were the same as Manager Stuart Smith showed faith in the lads who had lost at Hamworthy Rec the week before. The pitch was looking a lot better after a couple of weeks rest and a dose of fertiliser so with the weather dry we were all set for a good afternoon.

Stur have been struggling lately with the manager throwing in the towel last week, but with a new boss in place and a few new signings made they were hoping today may be the start of a new era. They certainly started fairly brightly, moving the ball around confidently and getting forward to syupport a couple of early attacks. Sports looked a bit off the pace but in the 13th minute we scored the opening goal. Nat Carney made a good run into the opposition box and slipped a nice pass to LOUIS IRWIN who calmly slotted the ball into the far corner. We thought perhaps this would open the floodgates but, far from it, the opposition kept working hard and with Sports passing sloppy and the movement a bit pedestrian, they came right back at us. In the 24th minute it was back to level pegging at 1-1 when their number 4 got up to head in a free kick delivered deep into the box. Worse was to come 15 minutes later when the Stur centre forward let fly from 20 yards out and the ball flew into the top corner of the net. Perhaps this was the wake up call Sports needed as 5 minutes later they got back on level terms. Josh Payne made one of his signature runs down the left wing, cut in and squared the ball to the waiting LOUIS IRWIN who banged it into the net from 6 yards out. That was more like it and with the half-time whistle came a slight feeling of relief that we were back on level terms at 2-2.

We were hoping for a much improved performance from Westlands in the second half and as we tore into the visitors at the start it looked as though we were going to get it. In the 48th minute Josh Payne put a good low ball across the face of the goal and Phil Wells could only put it into the side net. But a minute later the pressure told. Nat Carney again drove into the opposition box and LOUIS IRWIN got his foot to the cross before the onrushing keeper and steered the ball into the back of the net to put us back in front. Sturminster heads were dropping now and 3 minutes later a cross to the far post was volleyed in by LOUIS IRWIN for his fourth goal of the day to make it 4-2 Westlands. Sports were well on top now and made a couple of substitutions with Stu Smith and Louis Irwin (who had taken a knock) being replaced by Sam Beard and Leo Hayward. In the 58th minute we made it 5-2 with a cracking goal. Leo Hayward went storming down the right wing and delivered a perfect cross that JOSH PAYNE met on the run with his head and powered the ball into the net. The game looked over now but there was still plenty time left and the visitors gave us a reminder when they pulled one back just after the hour mark. Again a cross to the far post was headed in by their No 4 who got his second header of the day. This goal prompted a flurry of pressure from Stur and Sports had to clear a goalbound shot off the line to preserve our two goal lead. Some decent possession followed by Westlands and this kept the visitors on the back foot. The last action came a couple of minutes from the end when a defender handled a cross giving Sports a penalty. SAM GIBBS stepped up to take it and showed how it should be done, drilling the ball into the corner with the keeper diving in the other direction.

The final whistle ended a game we had won fairly easily in the end but we had made hard work of it at times. Louis Irwin was undoubtedly man of the match for his four goal performance.

A tough task as usual awaited us with a visit to Magna Rd but the pitch looked nice and green if a bit sgggy, and Westlands looked to have most of the regulars back so a good game was in prospect. Only one change from the Poole game with Sam Gibbs returning to the starting lineup so Sam Carney, Leo Hayward and Sam Beard had to make do with places on the bench.

Sports showed their attacking prowess as early as the third minute when Josh Payne went on a run which drew a last gasp tackle and a free kick from the Hamworthy defence. This was followed by a corner kick as Sports enjoyed some early pressure. The warnings had been there for the Hamworthy defence but in the 5th minute they backed off JOSH PAYNE and he cut inside and sent a beautiful wind-aided curling shot into the far corner. Excellent start, 1-0 Westlands, but a long way to go. Hamworthy knuckled down now, gaining some periods of possession which pushed us back but they weren't able to trouble our keeper. In the 17th minute they had a good effort which fizzed past the post and a couple of minutes later Stu Smith dived to block a goalbound shot. Although Hamworthy were now dominating possession, Josh Payne was proving a real thorn in their side and in the 22nd minute he had a shot cleared off the line with the keeper beaten. In the 26th minute more good play by Josh and Louis Irwin had the Hamworthy defence in a spin and they again stopped the attack by conceding a free kick. Sam Gibbs took the kick and his shot came back off the crossbar with Josh Payne putting the rebound wide. Rec were lucky at this stage to be only one down but they kept plugging away with the Sports defence standing firm. Sam Watts made a couple of good saves when called upon but the pressure was building and 2 minutes before the break they equalised. It was obvious by this stage that Hamworthy liked to get the ball wide and get crosses into the box and on this occasion we failed to block out the cross and were made to pay. When the ball came in the big Rec No 10 outjumped his marker and powered a header into the back of the net. We were disappointed at this stage as we had hoped to go into the half time break with a lead but our diappointment was short lived ! In the 45th minute an inch perfect through ball from Louis Irwin put JOSH PAYNE in and he showed the Hamworthy defence a clean pair of heals before burying a shot past the keeper to put Sports back in front !

This time we did hold out and a 2-1 half time lead did not flatter Sports as we had looked dangerous throughout the half even although the home side had a lot of possession. Obviously in the second half we would face a fired up home side who could see their title hopes going up in smoke so it was crucial that we try to get through that first 10-15 minutes.

With the wind at their backs Hamworthy came at us straight from the off and unfortunately we were only able to hold out for three minutes. A long hopeful ball into our box by their left back caught the Sports defence flat footed and a Rec attacker ran in unchallenged and sidefooted the ball into the corner. Just the start we didn't want but we dug our heels in after this and as the hour mark came Sam Watts pulled off a cracking save to keep the scores level. Gradually we were defending deeper and deeper in our own half now so we were finding it difficult to mount any telling attacks. Leo Hayward was on and he tried to get things moving but we were struggling to get men up in support. In the 73rd minute came the sequence of events which decided the game. Sam Watts made a good block but was beaten by the follow up shot which hit Sam Beard, who was standing on the goal line, on the arm and bounced out. The referee blew for a penalty saying he thought Sam's arm was in an unnatural position. No red or yellow cards were produced (?) and Hamworthy slotted in the penalty to make it 3-2. As the teams made their way back to the centre Nick Wilton made a comment to the referee and was shown a second yellow meaning he was off ! We were really up against it now but with nothing to lose we began to push forward again and mounted a few attacks. Unfortunately, most of these attacks were ended by fouls which did us no good really as we were a man light and needed to catch them on the break. The Westlands players were getting a bit wound up by this and you could understand their frustration. With a few minutes to go we again stood still when a cross came over and a Hamworthy player forced the ball into the net at the second attempt to finish the game off at 4-2. A frustrating afternoon for Westlands for although the home side dominated possession and played some good stuff there were times in that first half when we had them on the back foot and if we had taken our chances then perhaps it could have been a different story. I said in my preview that this would be a good test of our progress this season and I think from what we saw today and in recent weeks we can compare ourselves with the best and take a lot of positives from our season so far.

A few selection problems this week saw the manager show faith with the youth and it was a fresh-faced Sports team which took the field at Turlin Moor. Sam Gibbs, Sam Carney, Chris Wells, Sam Beard and Leo Hayward were all missing from the regular squad so there were starting positions for Nat Carney,Steve Flynn and Joe Jarvis, Stu Smith also returned after injury and on the bench we had Scott Morgan, Sol Carney and Sam Plumley.

The pitch was in reasonable nick and early signs were that Poole B were a side who wanted to get the ball down and pass so a good game was on the cards. However my initial optimism was soon brought back to earth as the game developed rather scrappily with both sides failing to string many passes together and possession was passed back and forth in the opening 10 minutes. In the 16th minute the match came to life with the opening goal and it came to the opposition. A free kick from out on the right was mishit and curled in towards the near post where Westlands keeper Sam Watts seemed to have it covered. To the astonishment of the Westlands contingent the ball seemed to squirm from his grasp and fall over his shoulder into the net. A bad blunder by our young custodian but he's been in excellent form recently so we'll forgive him that one. That setback gave Sports a bit of impetus and we started to look more threatening in the opposition half. We came close in the 30th minute when Louis Irwin curled a free kick over the wall and their keeper turned it over the bar at full stretch. The pressure was building and the equaliser came in the 35th minute. Phil Wells made a good run down the left but his final cross looked to have dropped short of the near post until JOSH PAYNE produced a powerful header which looped over the keepers head into the far corner. Sports kept the pressure on and five minutes later we took the lead. Louis Irwin put over a deep cross from the left and it was met on the run by LEWIS HOWCHIN who buried it in the far corner. A lovely goal which gave Westlands a deserved half time lead and although the score was close the opposition hadn't really caused our defence any problems in that first 45, so barring accidents, we were confident the points were there for the taking.

As we settled in to the second half it was clear Westlands were keeping it tight at th eback and looking to hit the opposition with fast raids. As usual we made early substitutions and in 55 minutes Joe Jarvis was replaced by Sol Carney. Ten minutes later came a forced change when Louis Irwin fell awkwardly hurting his hand and he was replaced by Sam Plumley. In the 70th minute Sam Watts was called into serious action for the first time in the match (apart from the goal !) when he made a fantastic double save from a Poole man who had got clear of the Westlands defence. At the other end the Poole keeper made a good save from Josh Payne as he cut in from the left and unleashed a fierce shot. Next Sam Plumley had a great chance when he was put through but he delayed his shot and was forced wide. Scott Morgan came on for Nat Carney for the last 15 minutes and we played out the match with no further drama.

This was a decent win for Westlands as its sometimes been a difficult place for us to visit and with some experienced players missing it could have been dodgy. But the team all performed excellently on the day and although not a vintage performance we got a deserved three points.

Player Manager Stu Smith was still struggling with the groin injury he picked up against Mere and with Leo Hayward and Sol Carney both ill it was again a slightly depleted Westlands team that lined up against Portland. However, Louis Irwin and Josh Payne were back and Steve Flynn was given a starting spot with Sam Beard and Callum Thompson on the bench. The pitch was again soggy and there was a pretty strong wind blowing down the pitch but with so many local matches off we were happy to be able to put on a game.

As the teams settled into the match it was the visitors who were in the ascendancy and after 15 minutes Sam Watts the Westlands keeper dived to turn a shot round the post for a corner. Sports were defending well but 5 minutes later a Portland player got his head to a corner but Sam Watts was again equal to the task and tipped the ball over the bar. This was the story of the half really with Portland pushing forward and Westlands defending resolutely. There were no more major scares for Sports and we managed to mount a few attacks of our own with Josh Payne looking lively and well supported by Louis Irwin.

Half time opinion was that although Portland had been on top, apart from a couple of early scares Sports had dealt with the threat pretty well and the longer we stayed in the game the chances were we could score a goal as we usually do.

Westlands made a change at half time with Chris Wells being replaced by Sam Beard who lined up at centre half with Phil Wells reverting to his normal left side position. As the half started it was Portland who had the first chance putting a header wide from a free kick. Then they forced a corner and Sam Watts made another good save. After 10 minutes Westlands made another substitution with Callum Thompson replacing Steve Flynn who had made a lively contribution in the first half but was beginning to tire a bit now in the heavy conditions. In the 58th minute the Westland defence were almost caught out with a quick free kick but once again Sam Watts came to the rescue with a smart save. It was becoming a dour battle now and as players began to tire one or two little niggles crept into the game. Westlands were still mounting the odd attack and it paid off in the 70th minute. A long ball by Sports down the left wing was ushered out of play by a Portland defender who picked the ball up to take the throw in. Unfortunately he didn’t let the ball go out of play so the referee blew for a free kick to Westlands to the annoyance of the Portland players. Sam Gibbs put a good ball into the box and it was headed behind for a corner. Again Gibbo put a good inswinging delivery into the box and in the scramble that followed SAM BEARD managed to force the ball over the line to put Sports one up. Portland needed the points to keep their title challenge going so they were fired up now and immediately went on the attack. Only a minute after we had scored they had a chance but their player put his shot over the top. But a minute later they equalised when the Westlands defence went walkabout and the Portland sub was left all on his own to prod in a cross from the right. It was a bit disappointing we had only managed to hold our lead for a few minutes but nevertheless it was back to square one and everything still to play for. With about ten minutes to go and Sports still defending fairly comfortably came another bizarre incident which could have cost us. Lewis Howchin played the ball and it rolled back to Sam Watts in the box. Sam seemed unsure as to whether he could pick it up or not and looked to the referee for guidance. None was given so Sam picked the ball up and the official immediately blew for an indirect free kick 6 yards out and about 4 yards to the left of the goal. With virtually the whole Sports team crowded on the goal line Portland took the kick and it was cleared past the post. Unfortunately the referee ordered it to be retaken for encroachment so we had the same mellee again and once again the Sports defenders managed to smuggle the ball out for a corner. The final twist in the match came in the dying seconds when Josh Payne went on one of his trademark runs which took him into the opposition penalty box where he was pulled back by a defender and the referee immediately pointed to the spot. With regular penalty taker Leo Hayward absent Sam Carney stepped up to take the kick but unfortunately he put his kick over the bar and a golden opportunity was lost.

That was virtually the last kick of the game and the 1-1 draw was a pretty good result on the day. We defended well throughout and although Sam Watts was undoubtedly Westlands man of the match they hadn’t caused us too many problems. We always looked dangerous on the break so with that combination you always have a chance.

We travelled to Mere with a depleted side. Louis Irwin was injured and Josh Payne and Sam Beard had other plans so Nick Wilton, Lewis Howchin and Sol Carney were all given starting places in an unfamiliar line-up.

Westlands had the first goal attempt after 4 minutes with Sol Carney shooting over. A minute later Sam Watts made a good save as Mere hit back. Sports had a good spell now with the Carneys linking up well in support of Leo up front. Sol Carney burst through the home defence but the keeper rushed out and blocked his shot. In the 18th minute the home keeper saved again from Sam Carney and a minute later he made a great save from Leo Hayward. For the first half of the opening 45 minutes Sports had created several chances but failed to make them count and the home side now began to push forward and forced several corners in a row. Sports were guilty of conceding soft free kicks and on the half hour we were nearly punished. A free kick from outside the box was smashed over the wall and was heading for the top corner until Sam Watts leapt to tip the ball over the bar. Mere were dominating now and in the 35th minute they took the lead. The big Mere number 6 had a shot parried by Sam Watts but had time to scramble to his feet and score from the rebound. Sports defence seemed a bit slow but we had contributed to the goal by giving away possession in our own half. Sports tried hard to hit back and a flicked header by Leo Hayward shaved the far post. Next Leo put over a deep cross which Phil Wells tried to convert at the far post again the keeper saved well.

The half time whistle brought an end to a half that had been end to end. Both teams had found it difficult to keep possession but the result was lots of goalmouth action and both keepers had been in excellent form to keep the score to 1-0.

The first major action in the second spell came after 10 minutes when Sports player/manager Stu Smith had to limp off with a groin injury and young Steve Flynn took his place. Unfortunately this meant a bit of a reshuffle for Westlands but three minutes later we scored ! Leo Hayward thumped a free kick over the Mere wall and when the keeper parried it MATT WATSON was on hand to bang the ball into the net. Next Mere tried their luck from a free kick but the shot just cleared the crossbar. With 10 minutes to go the home team were still pressing for the winner and they missed an absolute sitter when their player ballooned over from inside the six yard box. In the 83rd minute the pressure paid off but once again we shot ourselves in the foot. Phil Wells tried to make a pass across the edge of the box and when a Mere player intercepted he was able to run in and thump the ball into the back of the net. Such a disappointing way to lose what turned out to be the winning goal. In a match where we had given as good as we got, and considering the numerous changes we were forced to make, perhaps a point might have been a decent result away from home.

After last week’s good away result it was imperative that we followed it up with a home win so it was good to see there was only one change to the team that had played so well at Merley Cobham, Chris Wells coming in to replace Lewis Howchin who was unavailable.The first big excitement came in the 8th minute of the game and a major incident it was. The visitors No 6 had a kick at Sam Carney as he lay on the ground following a tackle. The referee ignored that incident but Sam obviously gave his opponent a bit of verbals and the next thing the no 6 headbutted him ! After consulting with his linesman the referee showed him a straight red card.

Westlands seemed to relax realising they were playing 10 men and immediately got caught napping. A ball over the top saw a Bridport attacker in a race for the ball with Sports keeper Sam Watts. The forward got there first and toed the ball out for a goal kick just before he was taken out by our diving keeper. It was an obvious penalty but luckily for Westlands the referee only saw it as a yellow card as there was no goal-scoring opportunity, the ball having gone well away from goal and the attacker having no chance of reaching it. The Bridport players (and management) argued long and hard for Sam’s dismissal as this would even things up at 10 apiece. Once the furore died down the penalty was despatched into the back of the net to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. What a start and for a few minutes everyone seemed to draw breath and nothing of note happened until the 15th minute when Josh Payne had a goal-bound shot blocked. As you would expect Westlands were beginning to press now and in the 26th minute the equaliser came. The Bridport keeper failed to hold on to Louis Irwin shot and JOSH PAYNE followed up to score. Two minutes later Sports were ahead 2-1. Josh Payne went on a run down the left which took him to the bye-line and his cut-back was banged into the net by LOUIS IRWIN. That goal settled Westlands down and for the rest of the half they pretty well dominated the game although that third goal was proving hard to get. Then, just as we were expecting the half time whistle to blow we scored, and a fine goal it was. Louis Irwin fed the ball through to Josh Payne who in turn laid it on for LEO HAYWARD who scored with a well struck low shot.

At half-time, with a 3-1 lead and playing against 10 men, we looked to be in a strong position and we fully expected Westlands to go on and win comfortably.

The second half started with Bridport on the front foot and Sports looking lethargic as if the game was won. As we know, 10 men can often up their game as they have nothing to lose and if the team with 11 don’t match that effort things can change. And so it was in this game with the visitors forcing a good save from Westlands keeper Sam Watts in the opening minute of the half. Sports were sloppy now and when the ball was given away in the 48th minute the Bridport centre forward had a clear sight at goal but blazed the ball over the bar. A bit of a let off for Westlands and Bridport kept up the pressure forcing Sam Watts into another good save in the 50th minute. And so the game continued with Westlands under pressure and another good chance was squandered by the visitors in the 65th minute. It looked as if a goal was coming and it did a minute later when a high dipping shot from distance dropped over the keeper’s head and found the back of the net. At 3-2 this was not how we had seen the half turning out but the goal did seem to be a wake-up call for Westlands and at last we saw some attacking play. Only a minute after conceding Leo Hayward thumped the crossbar with a good shot on the turn as Sports began to turn the tide. We needed another goal really to put some distance between the sides again and in the 72nd minute we got it. Another thumping Leo Hayward shot could only be parried by the keeper and JOSH PAYNE was following up to bang the ball into the back of the net. This goal finished Bridport off and suddenly the 10 men were looking a bit weary. In the 75th minute Leo Hayward was replaced by CallumThompson and within 2 minutes Westlands scored goal number 5. This was a great goal and the most spectacular solo effort witnessed at Alvington for many a long year. Picking the ball up in his own half, JOSH PAYNE went on a scorching run down the left wing completely outpacing the tiring Bridport defence. He then cut in and as the keeper advanced sent a high dipping shot over his head into the far corner. A marvellous goal and one worthy of the admission fee alone. Sol Carney then came on for brother Sam and with Bridport looking tired it was just a case of could we score again. The two young subs were full of energy and Callum Thompson almost fashioned a chance with a lovely turn in the box but he was crowded out. In the 86th minute we grabbed goal number 6 when Callum Thompson set up SAM GIBBS on the edge of the box and he blasted the ball into the top corner giving the keeper no chance.

A good finish to the game and the last 20 minutes had seen us stretch away to secure a fairly comfortable victory. But the first 25 minutes of the second half was anything but comfortable and showed what can happen if you take your foot off the gas. In the end Josh Payne took the honours for his hat-trick in a match which showed the good and bad sides of Sports performance.

We have been on a decent run of form recently with three wins and two draws in our last 5 matches but a trip away to the league leaders is always a daunting prospect. On the team front, Mike Rousell and Nick Wilton dropped out from last week and were replaced by Leo Hayward and Lewis Howchin which gave the line-up a more familiar look.

From the kick-off Westlands had some good possession, knocking the ball around, and Josh Payne forced an early corner in the 4th minute. That was cleared but it only took Westlands another minute to take the lead. Josh Payne played a lovely through ball to LEO HAYWARD who was never going to be caught and he slid the ball past the onrushing keeper into the far corner. What a goal and what a start for Westlands who now had their tails up and continued to press. Josh Payne and Leo Hayward were looking in the mood and both had shots at goal which just missed the target. After 15 minutes Cobham had their first dangerous attack when a well struck shot went past the post. This gave the home team some encouragement and they began to push forward now. In the 18th minute a free kick from just outside the box cleared the Westlands bar and a couple of minutes later Sports keeper Sam Watts dived and saved at the feet of an attacker who was clean through. The pressure was building now but just at the right moment we hit them with a classic sucker punch. Lewis Howchin went storming down the right wing and he fed Louis Irwin down by the corner. Louis made himself a yard and drove the ball hard and low across the face of the goal where LEO HAYWARD got to it first at the far post and smashed it into the roof of the net. This goal rocked Cobham back on their heels and Westlands were able to keep things under control for the rest of the half. There was one scare on the half hour mark when a Cobham player got in behind our defence but he shot wide of the mark, otherwise we got through to half-time unscathed and with a two goal lead were in a good position.

Half time verdict was that Westlands had played very well in that first half. We had scored two cracking goals and defended stoutly when they had their spell of pressure. We were aware, however, that Cobham had come back from a 1-0 half-time deficit the week before against Weymouth to win 4-1 so we knew the game was far from over.

The second half started with Sam Watts having to dive low to make a smart save after 2 minutes. After 10 minutes we made a substitution with Leo Hayward, who was suffering with a cold, coming off and youth team player Steve Flynn coming on. Steve lined up in midfield with Louis Irwin pushing forward to join Josh Payne in attack. I’m sure Cobham were glad to see the back of Leo but Westlands quickly regrouped and almost immediately scored again. A bit of a shocker this one for the Cobham defence. Sam Carney, from out on the left, thumped a low ball across the face of the goal. Somehow it found its way past several defenders to JOSH PAYNE at the far post and from about two yards out he had time to control it and tap it into the back of the net. Great stuff from Westlands and as Cobham threw on their subs we rolled up our sleeves for some defensive duties. But no, ten minutes later, in the 65th minute we made it 4-0 ! Steve Flynn fed Josh Payne with a nice through ball. Josh raced through to almost the bye-line before rolling the ball across the face of the goal where LOUIS IRWIN forced it over the line. At 4-0 Cobham were now looking to salvage some pride and threw men forward leaving only two at the back. In the 68th minute Sam Watts made another good save to keep them at bay. Westlands brought on some fresh legs at this point with Chris Wells replacing Sam Beard in defence. In the 75th minute we made a rare mistake at the back and were punished. We were guilty of trying to play the ball out and when an attempted pass was intercepted we were in trouble. The ball was fed through quickly to the big Cobham sub who hit a vicious swerving shot which found the back of the net. Westlands had to hold firm now and they did so for the next five minutes which took the sting out of any Cobham fightback hopes. As we went into the last ten minutes Cobham kept piling forward and Sam Watts was twice in action with good saves. Westlands still had their attacking moments and in the 85th minute Sam Gibbs sent a low drive just past the post. Back came Cobham and Sam Watts had to make the save of the game to keep them out, tipping a net-bound shot over the bar. As we went into the last minute of the match Westlands put a bit of icing on the cake by scoring goal number five. A free kick out on the right was swung in deep to the far post by Sam Gibbs where LOUIS IRWIN met it first time and thumped the ball into the net. That was almost the last kick of the match and the final whistle ended an excellent afternoon for Westlands.

We had produced a good away day performance, defending well and always looking dangerous in attack. Although we won comfortably in the end we had to defend well for periods in the game and the fact that our goalkeeper Sam Watts was a candidate for any man of the match awards proves the point. It was nice to see our attacking duo of Leo Hayward and Josh Payne, ably supported by Louis Irwin, back in tandem again giving opposing defences problems. Everyone put in a solid performance without exception and that’s what you need when you play the top sides. Unfortunately these three points don’t improve our league position any so we’ll have to do it all again next week.

The pitch was once again a bit of a muddy mess but it was playable although slippery on top. Westlands made a couple of changes from last week. Lewis Howchin was unavailable and was replaced by Nick Wilton who made a welcome return to the team after a long layoff. There was also a start for Sol Carney with Josh Payne dropping to the bench where he was joined by Leo Hayward and a couple of new signings, Callum Thompson and Chris Wells.

Westlands settled quickly with some good short passing on the treacherous surface. This paid off in the 15th minute with the opening goal. A couple of quick passes gave Louis Irwin some space to get his head up in the midfield and he spread a good pass out to Nick Wilton on the right. Nick went past the opposition full back with a good burst of pace and his cross into the middle caught the Cranborne defence flat-footed. SOL CARNEY controlled the cross, turned, and coolly side-footed the ball into the bottom corner. A fine goal and it put Westlands firmly in the driving seat. As we continued to push forward we were gifted a second goal in the 19th minute. A ball dropping at the edge of the penalty area caused confusion in the Cranborne defence. As the

keeper came out both he and his defenders hesitated and the alert MIKE ROUSELL nipped in and stole the ball and steered it into the empty net. A dream start for Sports, two up in twenty minutes but Cranborne had a decent effort just afterwards and Stu Smith had to stretch to divert the ball for a corner. Five minutes after the second goal we should have had a third which would probably have put the game to bed. Louis Irwin was barged in the back as he went for a header and the referee pointed to the spot. Louis decided to take the kick himself but unfortunately his side-foot shot was pretty tame and the keeper dived to save. As Westlands continued to press Sam Carney hit the bar with a decent effort. Then on the half hour mark Sam Watts had to make a diving save as Cranborne began to regroup and enjoy some possession. The game got bogged down in the mire for a while with a bit of a midfield battle taking place. The visitors should have pulled one back with 5 minutes remaining in the half but their lad missed an absolute sitter, blasting wide from close range. The final action of the half brought the third goal for Westlands. A ball from the right bounced into the six yard box and as everyone left it to each other MIKE ROUSELL reacted quickly to bundle the ball over the line from close range. A real poacher’s goal this one.

A three goal lead at half-time was probably what Sports deserved as we had played some good stuff considering the conditions.

We were only five minutes into the second half when Westlands made their first substitution. Perhaps wise as the conditions were strength sapping and two goal Mike Rousell was the first to come off and he was replaced by Leo Hayward. A few minutes later Sol Carney was replaced by Callum Thompson, one 17 year old replacing another. On the hour Cranborne had a shot but missed the target and that signalled Westlands final substitution with Chris Wells replacing Nick Wilton. A couple of minutes later we made it 4-0. Callum Thompson showed some nifty footwork to get to the byeline and his pull back was calmly sidefooted into the net by SAM CARNEY. It was really just a matter of how many now and as the pace slowed so did the action. Leo Hayward shot over the top after a storming run by Chris Wells down the right had set up the chance. Next Sam Gibbs tried his luck but missed the target and a chance for Louis Irwin went over the top. Finally, as the referee was looking at his watch, the visitors had a chance to get on the score sheet but a good shot across goal just slipped by the far post.

All in all a good day for Westlands. We played some decent football on a poor surface and thoroughly deserved the three points.

The match was preceded by a minutes silence in respect of Mr Keith Bullen, the Dorset Referees Development Officer, who died suddenly this week.

Sports made one change in the team from last week. Leo Hayward, our top scorer, was unavailable and was replaced by the experienced Mike Rousell. The pitch wasn’t great, a muddy top surface that was sure to cut up, but I expect most pitches are the same at the moment. The early exchanges were fairly even as the teams weighed each other up but Westlands created the first real chance in the 7th minute. Josh Payne burst through the Sherborne defence and only a last ditch tackle denied him as he drew back his foot to shoot. A couple of minutes later the visitors had a shot but it went wide. It was a keenly contested local derby with little to choose between the sides. In the 30th minute Sports took the lead. A nicely weighted through ball from Sam Gibbs saw LOUIS IRWIN run on to it, fend off a defender’s challenge and slot the ball past the diving keeper. A cool finish in a hectic game. In the 37th minute Sam Watts had to make a good save from a shot on target, tipping it round the post.

Half-time came with Sports holding on to their slender lead and the general opinion was that it was an even game with Westlands looking more dangerous when they attacked so perhaps just deserving their half-time lead.

As expected our opponents came out fired up for the second half and started to enjoy some good possession. Mike Rousell, who had worked hard up front and had been the recipient of a few heavy tackles, was replaced by Ant Herrin. Sherborne continued to push and a couple of shots were off target. Then the best chance of the half so far fell to Louis Irwin, whose runs from deep were not being picked up and once again he found himself put through on goal. As the keeper came out Louis stretched and toe-poked the ball past the keeper only to see it hit the outside of the post and go by. Two minutes later Sherborne drew level. Stu Smith misjudged a header allowing an attacker to make ground down the right and when his cross came over their number nine thumped it into the top corner. A well finished goal but once again it came from an error so that was a bit disappointing. It was all even now and with 30 minutes to play it promised to be an exciting finish. A couple of minutes after the equaliser Sports had another great chance to regain the lead. Again it was Louis Irwin who ran through and as the keeper came out he tried to lift it over his head but completely miscued his shot and the ball was cleared. Sports went for the win now with 15 minutes to go bringing on two midfielders, Nat and Sol Carney, and taking off two defenders, Sam Beard and Lewis Howchin. Josh Payne had a shot which went wide and then Sherborne put in a deep cross which an onrushing attacker just failed to reach at the far post. In a final effort to win the match Westlands pushed forward in the last few minutes and forced a couple of corners but Ant Herrin put a shot wide and Sam Carney fired over the top.

The referee’s whistle ended a good match considering the conditions were pretty bad and deteriorated as the game went on. Sherborne were delighted with their point, Westlands less so as the home side, but a draw was probably a fair result as both teams put the effort in and neither really deserved to go home empty handed.

Our first game since 20th December and the first good news was the return of Sam Watts to goalkeeping duties after a spell out with an injured thumb. Manager Stu Smith also returned after suspension and Mike Rousell returned to first team duty on the bench with Sol & Nat Carney making three Carney brothers in the squad ! Although wet and muddy, the pitch was looking much better than it was for the Swanage game but there was a bitter wind blowing across the pitch which was going to make things difficult (especially for the spectators !).

Both teams took a few minutes to find their feet (literally !) and it was 5 minutes in before we had our first goalmouth action. Leo Hayward fired in a shot which the keeper dived to save low down by the post. Westlands were pushing forward but the opening goal still came as a bit of a surprise when it arrived in the 15th minute. The ball was played in to JOSH PAYNE unmarked in the box and he seemed to have all the time in the world to control the ball, turn, and knock it past the keeper into the back of the net. Blandford responded and their speedy left winger outpaced the Sports defence and drove the ball across the face of the goal, fortunately no takers. Westlands though were full of confidence now and kept the pressure on. Five minutes after we had taken the lead we missed an absolute sitter. Poor old Louis Irwin was the culprit, scooping the ball over the bar when faced with an open goal. Nevertheless he soon made amends for his miss when he finished off an excellent move in the 27th minute. Josh Payne went up for a goalkeeper’s punt and won the header well, flicking the ball on to Leo Hayward. Leo quickly laid it off to LOUIS IRWIN who took a couple of steps and smashed the ball into the top corner with the keeper helpless. A cracking goal and Westlands looked to be in the driving seat now. Three minutes later, and with Blandford reeling, Josh Payne danced his way through their defence but then decided to dribble round the keeper as well and was forced wide. Just before the break, Blandford hit back with a couple of chances which brought a couple of excellent saves from Sam Watts. The second in particular when the Blandford No 7 was clean through but was thwarted by the diving keeper.

The half time whistle saw us go in with a handy 2-0 lead but most of the comments at the break reckoned this was no foregone conclusion and we needed to be careful especially with the strong wind still blowing.

The half was only 4 minutes old when the Blandford keeper tipped an effort from Leo Hayward round the post after good interplay between Leo and Josh Payne. Leo was then taken off and Mike Rousell took his place in attack. Blandford then mounted a couple of good attacks, the first shot was well saved by Sam Watts and from the resulting corner he made another terrific save. Another substitution was made by Sports with Nat Carney replacing Sam Beard. In the 67th minute Mike Rousell tried his luck but the keeper saved his shot. Sol Carney then came on for Westlands with Josh Payne going off. Sol didn’t take long to get involved and with 10 minutes to go he had a good shot which just cleared the bar. Then Phil Wells overlapped down the left and just as we thought he was about to pull the trigger with his favoured left foot he decided to cut back inside the last defender and the chance was blocked. Blandford then had a good shot which just fizzed past the post. Chances were coming thick and fast now, perhaps the players were tiring in the testing surface. Then with 5 minutes to go they scored ! A long diagonal ball over the top of our defence found the speedy no. 11 in the clear and he ran on and made no mistake, thumping the ball into the back of the net. This made for a rather nervous last 5 minutes but the best chance of scoring again actually fell to Phil Wells who again overlapped down the left and was put in by a good pass. Unfortunately his shot missed the target so the chance went begging. I’m not sure why the full-backs were still pushing on at this stage but had we scored a third goal I guess it would have been justified. We held on pretty comfortably in the final few minutes, having to defend a few long balls punted up as Blandford tried to create an opening. Nevertheless the final whistle was a welcome sound and it guaranteed us the three points.

I think the result was about right on the day. Both teams deserve credit for playing some good football under trying conditions on a wet muddy surface. Westlands made more clear chances and if we had been a bit more clinical I think a third goal would have settled the contest. As it was we made things a bit difficult by losing a late goal when perhaps we should have been shutting up shop.

After last week’s goalkeeping crisis Jason Bundy was re-signed and returned to the club to take his place between the sticks. This allowed Sam Beard to line up at centre half in place of manager Stu Smith who was suspended. Apart from that it was the same squad as last week. Thankfully Nat Carney had recovered from his scare at Blandford and was able to start the match.

The pitch was in poor condition, the worst I have ever seen, and obviously suffering from over-use but we won’t go into that.

Westlands started quite brightly and soon had the visitors pinned back in their own half. Matt Watson got his head to a corner but his effort went over the top. After about 15 minutes Swanage began to get a foothold in the game and a good effort slipped just past the post after a Sports defender had given the ball away. Five minutes later a nice through ball put Leo Hayward away and as the keeper came out he slipped the ball past him only to see it agonisingly hit the post and go by. A few minutes later a great through ball from Sam Gibbs put Leo through on goal again but this time the keeper made a good save. As we moved into the last 15 minutes of the half it was Swanage who were having a good spell. A shot from a corner just cleared the Westlands crossbar and then we were a bit lucky when our keeper Jason Bundy charged off his line and took out a Swanage attacker. The ref said he had played the ball but I’ve seen those given more often than not so a bit of a let-off there. Just before the break our keeper was in action again, diving to save a good low drive. The picture below shows Westlands defending a corner in the first half.

Half time 0-0. Not a great game but enjoyable and surprisingly the pitch was holding up quite well with both teams managing to play some good football. As the half had developed it was clear how the teams were going to play. Swanage had a more methodical build-up but were coming up against a solid Sports defensive line. Westlands, on the other hand, were using the pace of Leo Hayward to get in behind the Swanage back line and it had almost paid off a couple of times.

As we returned to pitchside after our half-time tea we were almost caught out as Sports immediately took the lead. Once again LEO HAYWARD took on the Swanage defence single-handed. Cutting in from the left he brushed off a couple of challenges and hit a right foot shot back across the keeper that curled into the top corner. What a start for Sports but unfortunately we could only hold on to our lead for 5 minutes. A cross from deep on the left was dropping around the penalty spot and Jason Bundy came to collect. The Swanage No 11 ran in and leapt to challenge. As the two collided the Swanage player got his head to the ball and it bounced into the back of the net. The referee immediately signalled for a goal but Sports keeper Jason Bundy went down claiming he was fouled. The referee went over to explain why he had given the goal and their exchange of words led to the Westlands keeper completely losing his rag with the official giving Mr Day no option but to send him off. So, what a blow, back on level terms at 1-1 and now down to 10 men. Sam Beard took the keeper’s jersey again (!) and Phil Wells moved over to central defence. Sports adjusted pretty well to the situation with Leo Hayward always providing a good outlet for the hard-pressed defence. And it was Leo who almost nicked one for Sports in the 65th minute as he burst through and forced a good save from the Swanage keeper. Nat Carney was then replaced by Sam Watts to give us fresh legs and a more physical presence in midfield. Shortly after Leo Hayward, who had run himself into the ground, was replaced by Charlie Gay as Westlands continued to soak up the pressure. Swanage were now having all the territorial advantage but they weren’t making many clear cut chances and anything that did get through was dealt with competently by Sam Beard. Phil Wells, ably assisted by Matt Watson, was marshalling the Westlands defence well, and the screen of Sam Watts and Sam Gibbs were proving difficult to penetrate. Whenever possible, Sports were attacking on the break, mainly looking for Charlie Gay’s pace to cause problems to the Swanage defence. In the 75 th minute our hearts were in our mouths when a Swanage shot flew just past the post with the keeper beaten. I had just commented that I would be happy if we could hold out for a point when, with only five minutes left, we took the lead. It was LOUIS IRWIN this time who broke into the opposition half down the left side and headed for goal. As he got into the box it looked as if a defender had got his body between the attacker and the ball but as the keeper came out to gather he hesitated and Louis managed to get a foot in and stabbed the ball past him into the net. A superb solo effort which sparked off great celebrations on the touchline as it looked as if Sports might nick all three points. Swanage had nothing to lose now and they piled forward with Westlands defending in numbers. Eventually in the 89th minute the pressure told and their No 11 turned in a cross from close range to make it 2-2. There were a few minutes of overtime but Sports held on for what I thought was a deserved point in the end.

The second half had provided us with plenty drama and excitement and four goals as well so a good afternoon’s entertainment. As I said before I thought Westlands deserved to get something from the game after a very spirited performance when down to 10 men. I’ve mentioned a few names in my report but every single one of the players out there on Saturday deserved a pat on the back for their effort in that second half.

Westlands made a couple of changes from last week but the first one was not by choice. With a shortage of goalkeepers Sam Beard volunteered to go between the sticks to help out. Lewis Howchin returned at right back after illness and Nat Carney was promoted after some good performances in the reserves. Charlie Gay was also promoted to the first team squad and he took a place on the bench with Sam Watts.

On a good surface at Blandford, Sports started brightly and Josh Payne had an early chance which he skewed wide. Leo Hayward then forced the goalkeeper into a save as Sports set about the task with an enthusiasm that was not evident last week. In the 10th minute our hard work paid off with the opening goal. Josh Payne ran at the home defence cutting past a couple of their players in a mazy run. He then fed the ball to LOUIS IRWIN on the edge of the box and he turned and thumped a great shot into the top corner. Our early pressure had paid off but in the 15th minute we had a bit off a setback when Nat Carney had to go off after taking a hard blow to the kidneys. Sam Watts took over in midfield but it was the home side who carved out the next chance with danger man Mark Ford driving a shot over the bar. A minute later Lewis Howchin played a nice ball to Leo Hayward but his shot was saved. Back came Blandford and a good effort grazed the far post with our keeper beaten. After 26 minutes it was 2-0 to Westlands. LEO HAYWARD skinned the opposition full back and from an acute angle drove a left foot shot into the far corner for an excellent goal. Unfortunately we could only hold on to our two goal lead for another two minutes. A ball played inside our full-back put their winger in and he slotted into the far corner. This goal lifted our opponents and a few minutes later they had the ball in the net again but fortunately it was ruled out for offside, not sure why to be honest ! Anyway, this seemed to wake Sports up again and Josh Payne got a good header in from a corner. With a couple of minutes to go until half-time we restored our 2 goal lead. JOSH PAYNE went on a solo run and as the opposition backed off, he continued into the box and fired the ball past the keeper into the back of the net. Again however we were unable to hold on to our 2 goal lead and almost immediately shot ourselves in the foot by conceding a soft goal. A shot from the left was gathered by our keeper but disaster struck when the ball squirmed from his grasp and finished in the far corner.

Oh well, a 3-2 lead at half time could have been more but a lead is always a good result away from home, so we were reasonably satisfied. Westlands had looked sharp going forward in the first half with Josh Payne, Leo Hayward and Louis Irwin giving the home defence a torrid time. An ambulance had been called for Nat Carney and he was being attended by the paramedics at half time so that was a bit of a worry as we went out for the second half.

The home defence just couldn’t cope with Sports pace up front and it wasn’t long before we were threatening the home goal again. Leo Hayward found the target but the keeper saved. In the 51st minute Josh Payne again tormented the Blandford defence as he got to the byline. His cut-back to LEO HAYWARD was perfect as was Leo’s shot which flew into the back of the net. Two in front again, could Sports hang on to the 2 goal lead this time. Yes was the answer, not only that, in the 55th minute we made it 5-2. A ball over the top was chased by Louis Irwin who was brought down as he went round the keeper. The outcome was predictable, a penalty to Westlands and a red card for the keeper. LEO HAYWARD thumped in the kick to make it 5-2 and with the opposition down to 10 men, surely the game was in the bag ? Well, not quite as there was still 35 minutes to go and we know a lot can happen in that time. Having secured his hat-trick, Leo Hayward was taken off to protect a knock and he was replaced by Charlie Gay. But Leo’s departure offered no respite for the Blandford defence as Charlie Gay quickly showed his pace, carving through the backline to get a shot off. With 11 against 10 Westlands were on top but couldn’t find another goal. Louis Irwin was in with just the keeper to beat but somehow the stand-in goalie beat his shot away. Charlie Gay was next to have a chance but his ambitious chipped effort lacked the required height and was comfortably saved. Again Charlie Gay fashioned a chance but shot just wide. With 10 minutes to go came an incident that almost changed the game. Louis Irwin had to come off with a hamstring twinge and as we had used our subs we were now down to 10 men. This gave Blandford a real boost and within 2 minutes they pulled one back and a soft one it was. Their right back tried his luck from well out and the ball seemed to go through a crowd of players and catch our keeper flatfooted as the ball found the far corner. That goal spurred Blandford on but in the 87th minute we should have extinguished their glimmer of hope. A swift break again carved open the Blandford rearguard and the ball was crossed in to be collected by Sam Watts six yards out with only the keeper to beat. As Sam stroked the ball into the corner the goalie stuck out a leg and somehow blocked the shot. In the final minute we switched off a bit and allowed a Blandford player a free header which he buried in the top corner to make it 5-4.

Too little, too late I’m afraid from the home side’s point of view as the referee’s whistle sounded a few moments later.

So in the end a bit of a thriller but in all honesty this was a match Sports deserved to win even although we almost threw it away near the end. Performance wise however, this was much better from Sports with a renewed enthusiasm replacing the lack-lustre displays of the last couple of weeks. Going forward we looked really dangerous all game and it was reminiscent of last season when we ripped open defences in the senior league to take the title. Unfortunately our defending hasn’t been up to the standard of last season when clean sheets were a regular occurrence but we can work on that. This result should be real shot in the arm for Sports as we have been struggling a bit recently and it was good to watch (mostly !).

P.S. Nat Carney was taken to Dorchester Hospital for observation but was released at 8.30 pm and allowed home.

Saturday 6th December 2014, Somerset Senior Cup Rnd 3

WESTLAND SPORTS 1 STAPLEGROVE 3

The sun was shining but things didn’t look too bright for Westlands as it became evident we would have no subs on the bench for this game. Sam Beard was the only change coming in for the ill Lewis Howchin, otherwise an unchanged team.

The visitors were the first to look dangerous when their left winger raced through, got to the byeline and crossed to the centre forward whose prodded effort went just past the near post. The warning signs were there and in the 14th minute Staplegrove took the lead. The left winger again burst through but this time he let fly early and his dipping shot looped into the far corner with Sports keeper motionless. A few minutes later a free kick from Leo Hayward which was routinely saved by the keeper was Westland’s first attempt at goal. On the half-hour mark we had a good chance but Sam Watts failed to make a good contact with his header with only the keeper to beat. A minute later Sam had a shot on target but the keeper saved well. As the half came to a close we were lucky when a thundering shot from a Staplegrove player hit the bar.

Half time and only a one goal deficit was a bit of a let off really as Sports had looked pedestrian in the first half and it was difficult to believe we were actually playing a cup tie. Being optimistic surely we would come out fighting in the second half.

Unfortunately that was a forlorn hope as it only took the visitors 5 minutes to double their lead, Some good passing split open the Sports defence and the Staplegrove forward had an easy task to tuck the ball in the corner. Straight after that goal Westlands had a bit of pressure with Louis Irwin having a shot tipped over and Leo Hayward forcing the keeper to make a good save. Next the visitor’s missed a great chance when their player was clean through but George Irvine came out quickly and made a good save. Staplegrove again opened up Sports defence but their lad smashed his shot past the post. On the hour mark a bit of hope for the home supporters. Leo Hayward made a great run down the left and crossed for LOUIS IRWIN to score neatly. We were back in the game but it was Staplegrove who nearly increased their lead again but they hit the bar with a header to let Sports off the hook. In the 83rd minute Leo Hayward shot just wide of the target with only the keeper to beat and this turned out to be Sports last chance of the game. Two minutes later Staplegrove put the tie beyond doubt with their third goal. Westlands gave the ball away, it was fed into an unmarked attacker in the box and he slotted it into the far corner. That was the game over, there was no way back and it finished 3-1.

This was Westlands fourth defeat in a row and unfortunately there wasn’t a lot on show today to give any optimism that it will change in the near future. The same players are making the same mistakes week in week out so we can only hope we have reached rock bottom now and the only way is up.

This was a game Sports were looking to win against a side just below us in the table. The line-up had two changes from the team that lost at Parley. Sam Beard was unavailable and Sam Gibbs made a welcome return. Also with Szymon Matuszewski departing for Weymouth there was an opportunity for Sam Watts to start in the midfield. It was a lovely sunny afternoon and the pitch looked in good shape so we looked forward to a good game.

After a quiet opening ten minutes it was the home side who drew first blood with the opening goal. We had several attempts to clear a corner but failed to get the ball away. Eventually it fell to the Bridport number 9 who surprisingly had time to control the ball and fire it low into the far corner. Not the start you want in an away game but Sports responded well and equalised 4 minutes later. A curling free kick delivered into the danger area by Sam Gibbs was contested by the Bridport keeper and Sam Watts. As they collided the ball fell free and after a bit of a scramble SAM WATTS forced it over the line. A good response from Westlands but amazingly within a minute we were behind again. Bridport took a corner from the left which glanced off Sam Gibbs head at the near post and somehow the ball made its way through all the defenders into the far corner. Fifteen minutes gone and with three goals already scored this was proving good value for the spectators. It was noticeable Sports were beginning to win more ball in midfield now and the home team were on the back foot. In the 20th minute Sam Watts had a double attempt but couldn’t force the ball in. Nevertheless the equaliser came on the half hour mark and a lovely goal it was. Some good passing down the right wing saw the ball fed in to Sam Carney who laid it back to LEO HAYWARD who rounded off the move with a nice side foot finish. It was all Westlands now and Sam Carney shot just over from another Sam Gibbs free kick.

Then Sam Gibbs himself burst through and smashed in a shot which came back off the bar and was cleared. A minute later Sam Carney slid a nice pass through to Leo Hayward whose shot flew just past. A corner for Sports then saw Matt Watson have his header cleared off the line. The referee’s whistle for half-time was not what we wanted to hear but the half ended in stalemate at 2-2.

It had been a high-scoring first half with both teams looking a bit suspect defensively so in all probability they would try to tighten things up in the second half. Sports had finished the first half well on top so if we could continue in that vein we could get something out this game.

It was noticeable as the second half got under way that Bridport had changed their line-up a bit presumeably to tighten up defensively. The home team were looking a bit fired up now and Sam Carney got his name in the book for biting back. Ten minutes into the half and Bridport hit the bar with Sports defence looking a bit ragged. Then George Irvine made a good save to keep the scores level as the home team pushed forward. On the hour mark Sports had their first real chance of the half with Leo Hayward getting a shot away which the keeper saved. Nick Wilton and Mike Rousell then replaced Lewis Howchin and Sam Carney as Westlands tried to regain the momentum we had shown in the first half but to no avail. In the 65th minute came the winning goal and it came to the home side. A corner was cleared out of the box but fell to the Bridport left back who rifled a well struck shot from 20 yards into the back of the net.Sports now desperately tried to get back in the game by pushing forward but as a result we looked very open at the back and Bridport nearly capitalised in the 80th minute. An unbelievable melee took place in the Westlands goalmouth with Sports keeper, defenders and Bridport attackers all throwing themselves at the ball which hit the bar and both posts (I think !) before being eventually scrambled away to safety. Leo Hayward then hit back for Westlands with a couple of efforts. First a shot which went wide and then a free kick that the keeper saved. Nick Wilton the picked up his customary yellow card for a rash tackle before a Bridport player missed an absolute sitter when it looked easier to score. Leo Hayward had another shot saved before the final whistle ended what had been a disappointing half for Westlands.

At the end of the day Bridport could have had a couple more in that second half but by the same token Sports could scored in that good spell at the end of the first half. Nevertheless I think the home side just about deserved the win for the way they upped their game in the second period. From a Westlands viewpoint we lost our way a bit in this match with the team shape not quite right but that’s something we can work on. What we need now is a win to end our current losing streak so a Somerset Senior Cup tie next week could be a welcome change.

The first team travelled to Parley and went down 2-1 in an incident filled match that saw us play the last 40 minutes with 10 men. With Westlands 1-0 down at the break, and Rob Wheeler dismissed 5 minutes into the second half for talking out of turn, things looked bleak. However, Sports keeper George Irvine came to our rescue, saving 2 penalties, and although LEO HAYWARD equalised, we just failed to hold out with Parley scoring the winner deep into injury time.

This was our most difficult task of the season so far, a trip to Portland on a wet & windy day to face the current league champions Portland Utd. Sports had only one change from last week with Stu Smith returning to the team at the expense of Steve Flynn. Ant Herrin was back from Uni so took a place on the bench with Sam Beard and Sam Watts.

We held the 2 minutes silence of remembrance in pouring rain but it was Westlands who looked shell-shocked when Portland kicked-off and scored straight away. The first Westlands player to touch the ball was George Irvine as he picked the ball out the net after 30 seconds ! Our difficult task had just got that much harder and with the home side dominating possession it looked like things were going to get worse. In the 20th minute they did. A free kick was allowed to drop beyond the far post and as keeper George Irvine left his goal to try and gather the ball a Portland player beat him to it and squared the ball for a team-mate to knock it in. At this stage it looked as if this could be an embarrassing afternoon but gradually Sports dug in and at last we began to make some headway going forward. In the 40th minute we pulled back a goal that we badly needed. Nick Wilton slid a nice pass through the Portland defence to SZYMON MATUSZEWSKI who smashed it past the keeper into the back of the net. That goal was crucial and we went in at half time only a goal behind and still in a game that looked to be beyond us in the first half hour. Portland had played some good stuff and had dominated the half but with only one goal in it you never know.

Portland had the first chance of the second half when they hit the post following a corner but Westlands immediately hit back with Szymon Matuszewski shooting over. Westlands were growing in confidence now and our fast raids were causing the Portland rearguard a few problems. Leo Hayward was making good headway down the left and the Portland keeper had to make a good block to keep him at bay. We were on top now and eventually our pressure paid off. Szymon burst into the bax but was sandwiched between two defender's and brought down for a penalty. LEO HAYWARD stepped up and thumped the ball into the back of the net to put us back on level terms. Portland were rocking as we continued to attack them. In the 65th minute Szymon blasted a good chance over the top and a minute later Leo shot just past the post. Had one of these chances been taken perhaps the result would have been different, but as we moved into the last 15 minutes Portland turned the tide and began to push us back. George Irvine made a good save and then a Portland player headed over the bar before they scored in the 80th minute to get their noses back in front. A Portland player got his head to a corner and George Irvine made a great save, tipping the ball onto the crossbar. Unfortunately the rebound fell to his team mate and he forced the ball in from close range. It was so frustrating to lose that crucial third goal and it was a blow we never recovered from. Hard as we tried we couldn't create another good chance and with 2 minutes to go their fourth goal finished the contest. A Portland player got to the byeline and squared the ball for his team-mate to sidefoot in. That was it, game over and another 4-2 loss, our 5th defeat by that score this season. We are having difficulty defending as a team this year. In 16 games we have managed only 2 clean sheets and conceded 36 goals. Thats 2.25 goals per game and means you have to score three on average to win. Perhaps the balance between defence and attack is not quite right but there is no doubt our play results in lots of goals and exciting games for the spectators. Reflecting on saturday's game, in the end the best team won but Westlands showed a lot of spirit when many teams would have folded so well done to the lads for that. Just a pity about our sloppy start to the game, you just can't give away goals like that and hope to compete with the top sides.

Man of the Match: this week is LEWIS HOWCHIN who worked hard from start to finish.

Something different this week with the visit of Stockwood Green from Bristol in the Somerset Senior Cup. They play in the Somerset County League Premier Division so we knew it would be a tough game. Westlands made three changes from the previous match. Sam Watts had damaged his thumb last week and was unable to play in goal so he was replaced by Under 18s keeper George Irvine. Sam was fit enough, however to take a place on the bench as an outfield player. At centre half, player/manager Stu Smith was suspended and he was replaced by Nick Wilton and finally there was another Under 18s player Steve Flynn drafted into the centre of midfield to replace Sam Gibbs who also took a place on the bench. Three changes to the spine of the team made me a little nervous but sometimes changes have to be made and we are lucky to have a good squad of players to come in. Also nice to see youngsters being given a chance in the first team.

There was a blustery wind blowing up the pitch and Sports were facing it in the first half which was making things a bit tricky, especially when the ball was in the air. Weighing up the opposition, they looked quite an experienced side and had two wide men who played really wide and looked to have a bit of pace. Early indications were they tried to put these wingers in with long diagonal balls but the Westlands rearguard dealt fairly comfortably with some early attacks. Both teams were struggling to keep the ball in the wind and subsequently there were not a lot of passing movements being created. After 25 minutes the visitors took the lead but it was a basic error by a Westlands defender which led to the goal. With an attacker heading to the corner flag and with his back to goal its silly to go and foul him but that is exactly what we did, Nick Wilton being the culprit. Then we made things worse by failing to cut out the low hard driven free kick when it came across. We had a two man wall up to prevent just such a cross from coming in but they failed to do their job with one of the two half-turning his back on the ball which flew across the goal and was converted by a Stockwood player from about two yards. A poor goal to lose. Although a goal down we were still having our fair share of attacks and Louis Irwin just failed to connect properly with an overhead kick which flew wide. In the 38th minute we went 2-0 down and again we set up the opportunity for our opponents by giving away a soft free kick, Matt Watson the culprit this time. Once again the ball was thumped in hard and low, again our wall was ineffective, and the shot flew straight through a crowd of players into the bottom corner. So, there we were, 2-0 down and wondering how it had happened as they hadn't really hurt us in the final third, but to be fair, they had taken the chances when they came with two good free kicks. Westlands tried desperately to get back into the game and Matt Watson went up for a free kick and got his head to it but failed to hit the target. Leo Hayward then had our best chance of the half in the 43rd minute when he burst through the Stockwood defence and with only the keeper to beat, put his shot over.

With a two goal deficit at half time things looked a bit bleak but generally the opinion was that our opponents were a workmanlike side and if we stepped up our game a gear or two we could still dig ourselves out of the hole.

The second half started with Westlands pushing forward as you would expect but we couldn't create a telling chance. What was noticeable, however, was that the Stockwood keeper was already starting to timewaste, strolling after the ball etc and the referee had a word with him about it. This was a good sign for Westlands, showing that the opposition were happy with their two goal lead and were going into "protect what we have" mode. On the hour mark we made a substitution with Sam Watts replacing Steve Flynn in midfield and within four minutes we had pulled a goal back although Sam had nothing to do with it ! With the wind behind Sports keeper George Irvine launched a big kick deep into the opposition half. Szymon Matuszewski chested the ball down to LEO HAYWARD who smashed it first time from 25 yards into the back of the net. A lovely goal with only three touches including the keeper's kick. Westlands kept probing and in the 79th minute we got the equaliser. Some clever footwork by Josh Payne took him past 2 defenders and his pass to Sam Watts was neatly flicked round the corner into the path of SZYMON MATUSZEWSKI who powered into the box and drove the ball low and hard under the keeper. That goal shook our opponents up a bit and they forced a good save from George Irvine who dived to clutch a shot that was heading for the far corner. With the minutes ticking away Westlands kept the pressure on and it paid off in the 87th minute. Sam Watts won a great tackle in our opponent's half and fed the ball to Loius Irwin out on the right. Louis caused panic in the Stockwood defence by driving into the box until he reached the byeline where he cut the ball across the goal for LEO HAYWARD to net from close range. Another well-worked goal from Sports and surely that was it now ? Stockwood made one last attempt but their forward just failed to get a foot to a low cross and the last effort of the afternoon fell to Leo Hayward who was looking for his hat-trick but thumped his shot just wide of the near post. The whistle went and one of the Stockwood players showed his sportmanship by attacking a couple of Westland players. not a nice spectacle to end a game and totally unnecessary. Summing up Sports display, not our best, too many basic errors but a cracking fightback in the last half hour and three good goals.

Man of the Match: this week is SZYMON MATUSZEWSKI who gave the Stockwood defenders a problem all afternoon.

Another bad day for Westlands as we slumped to our fourth 4-2 defeat of the season. After last week's good win there was only one change with Nick Wilton suspended and his place taken by Sam Gibbs. Josh Payne was back from holiday and took his place on the bench. Yet it all started so well for Sports as, after a couple of early attempts went wide we opened the scoring in the 23rd minute. A nice 1-2 between Will Ireland and SZYMON MATUSZEWSKI put Szymon through on goal and he drew the keeper and slotted the ball into the net to give us the lead. We were reasonably comfortable after this and created a couple of good chances but crucially they were missed. The home side were battling hard however and in the 40th minute they got the break they needed to get back into the game. A corner from the left struck Stu Smith's hand and was then cleared. The ref waved play on then changed his mind on the assistants say so. The same referee had done the same thing to us when we played Hamworthy Rec recently so it was a bit tough to take. Anyway they scored the penalty to make it 1-1 at the break.

The general opinion at half time was that Westlands had failed to take their chances and could have been a couple of goals ahead.

Both keepers were called into action in the opening 10 minutes of the second half. First the Stur keeper did well to save a Sam Carney free kick and then Sports keeper Sam Watts pulled off a good save from a close range header. After 60 minutes we got careless. A soft free kick was given away about 15 yards into our half, the free kick was pumped in and missed by our keepr giving an unmarked Stur player an empty goal to head into. Poor stuff from Sports but worse was to come with another big decision going against us. Szymon Matuszewski burst into the penalty area and was hacked down from behind. The referee then brandished the yellow card when many people assumed it would be red. Never mind, we had the penalty to come, or so we thought as the referee then astounded everyone by giving a free kick on the edge of the box. Double whammy there against Sports and our day went downhill from then on. In the 80 minute we gave the ball away in our own half and got punished with a ball in behind which their striker tucked away well. In the 86th minute it was 4-1 when a cross evaded everyone and was tapped in at the far post. Sports kept trying and in the last minute Sam Gibbs showed the right spirit by chasing a lost cause to the byeline and hooking the ball back for SZYMON MATUSZEWSKI to thump in and make the scoreline a bit more respectable.

This was a game we just need to put behind us, it wasn't our day, we didn't play particularly well especially in the second half when we got a bit sloppy. We also had a couple of decisions go against us so we just need to look forward to next week now and a trip to Cranborne.

Another good win on the road for Westlands against a side who have been going well this season. There were changes as usual, with Leo Hayward still suspended and Josh Payne on holiday Will Ireland and Sam Carney returned to the starting line-up. Louis Irwin stepped forward to make a new striking partnership with Szymon Matuszewski as we kicked off on a glorious sunny afternoon. Westlands looked composed early on and a good move saw Szymon M bring a good save from the Shaftesbury keeper in the 3rd minute. A minute later Szymon had another attempt on goal saved by the keeper and then Nick Wilton blazed one over the top as Sports kept the pressure on. In the 10th minute Shaftesbury created their first chance of the afternoon when Kimber cut inside from the left wing and shot just past the post. Two minutes later Sports went 1-0 up. Some good build up play down the left involving Phil Wells and Rob Wheeler saw Szymon Matuszewski get to the byeline and cut the ball back to Louis Irwin. His shot was blocked by the keeper but SAM CARNEY was following up to sidefoot into the net. 5 minutes later Szymon Matuszewski was clean through but blasted the ball over the bar. A second goal was on the cards and came in the 22nd minute with another well worked goal. Nick Wilton put a lovely ball inside the fullback for Will Ireland to run on to. Will cut the ball inside to LOUIS IRWIN who turned inside and with his left foot curled a beauty round the keeper into the far corner. The opposition heads were down now and with some composure in front of goal we could have gone further ahead. Szymon Matuszewski had a couple of chances and Phil Wells had one but we couldn't hit the target with our shots and so the half-time score was 2-0.

It had been a good half for Westlands as we had looked good going forward and had not really been troubled by the home attack

In the second half, as you would imagine, the home side came out with nothing to lose and put us under a bit of pressure. But we were still dangerous in attack and Szymon Matuszewski had the ball in the net in the 53rd minute but was flagged offside. Shaftesbury took the initiative and in the 57th minute we rode our luck when a good shot came back off our post with Sports keeper beaten. Another Shaftesbury shot then flew just wide before Westlands stemmed the tide a bit by forcing a corner which Matt Watson headed past the post. With 10 minutes to go Sports keeper Sam Watts made a good diving save from a Shaftesbury forward who was clean through. That put the lid on it really and we were able to play out time with the final action coming from Szymon Matuszewski who had a low drive saved by the home keeper.

This was a good performance from Westlands, with a good workrate and shape throughout the game, lets hope we can keep it going.

It's groundhog day again, another home game - another four goals shipped ! To be fair, what looks like a comfortable victory for Hamworthy was not quite as easy as the scoreline suggests, for a while anyway. After the good win in midweek it was disappointing to see Sports had to make numerous changes for this match. Sam Gibbs, Will Ireland and Sam King all dropped out and were replaced by Matt Watson, Nick Wilton and Pete Lauchlan. Leo Hayward was suspended so Szymon Matuszewski took his place. Hamworthy had the first attack and forced an early corner which their lad headed over the bar. A few minutes later Westlands had a corner and did the same. over the top. In the 7th minute Ham Rec had a free kick in a dangerous position just on the edge of the box in a central position but once again it was put over the top ! Sports were competing well but on 20 minutes a Hamworthy forward looked to have an open goal but Sam Watts, the Sports keeper blocked his shot. Five minutes later Sam Watts had to look sharp to get down to a low header that was sneaking in at the post, turning it round for a corner. In the 30th minute Westlands had a great chance to take the lead. Stu Smith was barged over as he went for a corner kick and the ref had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Szymon Matuszewski stepped up to take it and to the astonishment of the home supporters he scuffed his kick past the post. I think everyone in the ground knew this was a costly miss. Against the top sides you have to take your chances when they come and to miss a penalty was a real blow. Nevertheless Sports kept going and Matt Watson got a shot away after a corner but scooped it over. Then in the final minutes of the half Szymon Matuszewski burst through the visitor's defence but the keeper rushed out to block his shot.

No score at half time was a decent result for Sports but we felt we should have at least scored one. From Hamworthy's point of view, I would say that perhaps they looked the more composed side and had certainly put the pressure on Sports at times during the first 45. Most people felt if we were going to win this one we would have to score first.

And only 2 minutes into the second half we almost did. The Rec keeper dropped a cross but Szymon Matuszewski's shot hit the post and came out. Two minutes later and another gilt-edged chance came Westland's way. Josh Payne drove down the right and squared the ball to Rob Wheeler who, with the goal at his mercy, blazed over the top. Only 7 minutes later we were made to pay when we handed them the lead. Matt Watson went to ground in the box and normally when you do that there is only one result - penalty ! The ref actually waved play on but the young linesman called him over and convinced him it was a penalty. Inevitably Ham Rec stuck the spot kick in the corner and we were 1-0 down. As often happens, once one goes in another soon follows and within four minutes Sports found themselves 2 down. We gave away possession in our own half from our own throw-in, the ball was moved inside and their lad smacked it low and hard into the back of the net from 20 yards. Sports didn't give up and in the 72nd minute we pulled one back to give ourselves a lifeline. A corner was headed clear but fell to ANT HERRIN at the edge of the box and he whacked it into the far corner. Right, 2-1, could Sports consolidate now and maybe sneak something late in the game. No was the answer as three minutes later we really shot ourselves in the foot. Nick Wilton dived into a crazy tackle in the box and not only gave away another penalty but got himself a straight red card. Ham Rec again tucked the kick away with their usual clinical efficiency and the game was all over. In the 80th minute with Westlands in disarray their centre forward ran through and slotted the ball coolly into the far corner of the net to end the scoring.

In the end a deserved victory for Hamworthy who looked a very efficient side, they kept the ball well, made good decisions and were clinical when the chances came. Sports put up a plucky fight but too many errors are still costing us dearly, and those penalties.........?

Another local derby and Sports were hoping to repeat the victory at Tintinhull with the same at Sherborne. Manager Stu Smith kept faith with the team who had started against Parley for, although we lost, he was pleased with some aspects of the performance. We had a strong bench of Nick Wilton, Sam Carney, Matt Watson & Szymon Matuszewski as back up. The home team were eager in the early minutes, getting some possession and pumping a few balls into the Sports box which didn't really trouble us too much. The first real chance fell to Westlands. A long free kick was hung up to beyond the far post where Josh Payne got up well to head back to Sam King but unfortunately he sliced his shot wide. Sam Watts the Westlands keeper was then called into action with a couple of efforts that he pushed round for corners. Sherborne had the territorial advantage and on the half hour another high cross eluded the Sports defence and a home attacker got in at the far post but the angle was too acute and his shot hit the outside of the post and went behind. Sports had shown they were dangerous on the break and in the 36th minute Leo Hayward burst through the home defence and shot for goal. The keeper did well to block the shot but the ball spun into the air and when Leo headed it towards the empty net the post came to Sherborne's rescue and the ball bounced out and was cleared. Sherborne immediately got the ball up the other end but once again Westlands broke at pace. Again LEO HAYWARD was put clean through and this time he made no mistake, slotting the ball past the advancing keeper into the net. With less than 10 minutes until half-time Westlands were content just to keep it tight for the remainder of the half and turn round 1-0 up.

A good half by Westlands limiting the home side to a couple of half chances and looking dangerous on the break.

The second half began with Sports taking the initiative and the Sherborne keeper had to look sharp to save a Will Ireland shot. It didn't take long for the second goal to come. In the 52nd minute a deep cross to the far post eluded the Town keeper and as a couple of defenders desperately tried to clear, LOUIS IRWIN nipped in to prod the ball into the back of the net to make it 2-0. Sherborne heads went down now and Westland's took control. Five minutes after the goal a glancing header from Josh Payne slipped past the post but on 60 minutes it was all over. SZYMON MATUSZEWSKI, who had replaced Leo Hayward, sprinted through the heart of the Sherborne defence and slipped the ball past the advancing goalie. Unfortunately the ball hit the post but Szymon was first to the rebound tucked the ball into the back of the net. Sherborne then took advantage of some sloppy Westlands defending to get themselves on the scoresheet. A corner from the left was only half cleared and was returned into the box where it fell to a home player who thumped it into the back of the net through a crowd of players. This was only a temperary lapse by Westlands and, as the Sherborne defence began to tire, we began to run them ragged. Szymon M got through but the keeper stopped his shot, then Josh Payne ran through but shot straight at the keeper. It looked odds on another goal was coming but we had to wait until the last moment for the icing on the cake. SZYMON MATUSZEWSKI picked the ball up 20 yards out and thumped a beauty past the startled home keeper. A fitting end to a good night for Sports and a welcome three points after the disappointment of saturday.

This was our third home defeat of the season and they have all been at home and all by the same score 4-2. Our generosity on our own ground will soon make us the most popular away day in the DPL. Sports had to make more changes with three players, Will Ireland, Sam Watts and Sam King, making their first start of the season. Nevertheless we started really well, hustling Parley out of their stride and mounting some early pressure on the visitors goal. After 5 minutes Josh Payne had the first good chance but his header failed to find the target. This was good stuff from Westlands and in the 12th minute we took the lead. JOSH PAYNE picked the ball up about 20 yards out, turned and whacked in a shot which whizzed over the keeper's head into the back of the net. Three minutes later we made it 2-0. A free kick from LEO HAYWARD curled over the wall and the goalkeeper, hit the far post and ended up in the back of the net. What a start for Sports but Parley rallied a bit and a good move from them saw a shot fly just over the bar. The remainder of the half was fairly even with neither side able to create a clearcut opportunity.

Two nil up at the break was a great result for Westlands as Parley are one of the top sides and we had come out on top in that first half. They would surely up their game now so what did Westlands have to do to hold on to this lead ?

Not give away soft goals would have been plan A but unfortunately we were unable to do that and in the end folded badly. We started with an attack and Rob Wheeler shot past the post but Parley soon showed they had nothing to lose and were going to make a fight of it. From a corner a Parley player got a free header but he put his effort past the post. In the 57th minute they got the goal they needed to get back into the game. Sam King got too close to an attacker from behind, there was contact and the result was inevitable - penalty ! The lad stuck it away and Westlands heads dropped. There were three crucial incidents in this game, the first was the crucial penalty we gave away to let them back into the game. The next happened shortly after when Josh Payne, who had caused the Parley defence problems all afternoon, was cynically hacked down knee high and was unable to take any further part in the game. As Josh is helped from the field their lad gets a yellow card and its job done as far as he's concerned. Not very just in my book ! Anyway Ant Herrin came on and he was part of the third crucial incident. This occurred just after Parley had equalised in the 70th minute with a shot from the edge of the box. Westlands mounted an attack down the left with the ball being played down to Louis Irwin. He cut the ball back to Ant Herrin who drilled a shot into the back of the net from the edge of the box. Unfortunately the linesman on the far side had seen an offside that no one else had seen and the goal was disallowed. Had this goal stood it would have put Westlands back in front and could have changed the game considerably. As it was it was a further hammer blow and three minutes later they made it 3-2. A long ball caught the Westlands defence a bit flat-footed and the centre forward ran through, went round the keeper, and slotted in from an acute angle. Five minutes later, in the 80th minute, we blew any chance we had of getting something from the game by giving away a fourth goal. Ant Herrin, in an unaccustomed defensive position, tried to play a pass straight across the edge of our own penalty box. The ball went straight to a Parley player who took one touch and banged it low and hard into the net. It was all over now and the visitors just had to play out time to take the points that had looked beyond them at half time. A poor second half from Westlands and a bit worrying that we seem to find it difficult to maintain concentration for 90 minutes. We showed we can do it in the Tintinhull game so thats the example we need to follow.

After the doom and gloom of my two previous reports it is nice to be able to report another win for Westlands in our first away game of the season. The fact it was a local derby gave the result an extra edge so the victory was very welcome. Lets not get carried away, it was a pretty scrappy match but Sports put in a solid display and deserved the win. The home side had the early possession but once Westlands settled we began to put on the pressure and although not creating any clearcut chances looked the more likely side. Tintinhull had a half chance when Joe Smith had a clear header at goal, but he put it well over the top. Josh Payne & Leo Hayward, backed up by Mike Rousell & Rob Wheeler, were beginning to test the home defence and in the 41st minute the breakthrough came. LEO HAYWARD picked the ball up out on the right wing and ran at the defenders. Cutting inside on to his left foot he then smashed an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net. A superb individual effort and a goal worthy of winning any match. 1-0 at half-time was just about deserved but neither keeper had really been troubled except of course for the goal.

Early in the second half Sports had a golden chance to put the game to bed when Josh Payne got behind the defence and squared the ball to Rob Wheeler who blasted over the bar with the goal at his mercy. The match then developed into a pattern which suited Sports quite well. Tintinhull were piling on the pressure but the final ball was usually a high punt into the goalmouth which Stu Smith and Nick Wilton dealt with fairly comfortably. When we did break we always looked dangerous and Leo Hayward's pace was always a problem for the home side. In the 72nd minute a Mike Rousell free kick from the edge of the box brought a great save from the home keeper who dived to tip the ball over the bar. Westlands held on for the win and a welcome three points on the road. The most pleasing thing was the general shape was much better than for the previous two games. Much of this was due to the return of Sam Gibbs to the midfield which he anchored superbly. Also our first clean sheet of the season was a bonus and was a reminder of last season when they were commonplace.

Another bad day at the office for Sports and another home defeat. Three changes from Tuesday's lineup with Sam Gibbs, Sam Carney and Louis Irwin being replaced by Stu Smith, Wes Gullin and Mike Rousell. Sports were struggling from the start and after a couple of minutes a good ball into our box caused mayhem. Luke Silcox started to come for it, Wes Gullin decided he had better deal with it and the result was Wes's header looped over Luke's head, rebounded off the crossbar and in the scramble that followed, Wes's attempted block saw the ball strike his arm and the ref blew for a penalty ! All this and only less than three minutes gone ! Luckily for us the Wareham lad made a hash of the penalty, missing the target completely. In the 15th minute a Wareham corner caused a bit of panic in the Westland's defence but the ball was eventually cleared. Five minutes later Sports had a chance when Leo Hayward got a clear sight at goal, but unfortunately he scuffed his shot straight at the keeper. Next some sloppy defending by the home defence let an attacker run through but Luke Silcox somehow managed to scramble the ball away. On the half hour it was Wareham who still had the upper hand and their centre forward blasted a good chance over the top. Westlands then had a free kick on the edge and an attempt to tee Leo Hayward up with a short pass ended with a rushed shot which trundled past the far post. After 38 minutes Nick Wilton got his head to a corner kick but his effort went just wide of the post. Just as we thought we had done a good job by getting through to half-time on level terms we shot ourselves in the foot. Stu Smith lunged into a tackle mid-way inside our own half. The punishment was severe, a yellow card and the loss of the first goal. The free kick was delivered into the box and with all the Sports defenders drawn to the ball, the centre forward flicked it on to the far post where any one of three unmarked attackers could have turned it in.

One nil down at half time, could sports turn it round in the second half ?

Well it looked promising as Sports quickly created a few chances. Josh Payne fired a ball across the face of the goal but no-onre could get a touch. Then Leo squared to Mike Rousell but the keeper saved his shot. On 65 minutes the equaliser came when a snapshot from 18 yards by JOSH PAYNE caught the keeper off-guard and flew into the net. It was anyone's game now and a good shot on the run by Leo was saved before Nick Wilton got back to clear off the line after our keeper had been lobbed. In the 71st minute we lost that crucial second goal. Mike Rousell tried to beat a man in his own half, lost possession and a Wareham player ran forward and drove the ball low and hard into the bottom corner. Sports kept plugging away and in the 80th minute we got level again. This time a good passing movement ended with LEO HAYWARD firing in. unfortunately within 2 minutes we conceded again. We failed to clear the ball from a corner, it was returned into the box where everyone missed it and the ball was eventually knocked in from close range. With Sports now deflated and losing the plot it was no real surprise when Wareham made sure with a fourth goal late on. Just to finish things off, Nick Wilton talked himself into the book and Leo Hayward saw red for a dangerous tackle right at the death. The last few minutes showed a worrying lack of composure by some Westland's players and its something that will have to be sorted before we go into a couple of tasty local derbies.

After our good win first time out on saturday this result was a bit of a shock to the system. Our last defeat was when Berrow knocked us out of the Somerset Senior Cup in a penalty shoot-out last november so we are not accustomed to losing ! There was only one change in the lineup, Nat Carney replacing Matt Watson who was on holiday. Two familiar faces from days of yore, Mike Rousell and Dean Corden, have returned to the club and took their places on the bench. Mere started on the front foot and soon had us pinned in our own half. We were losing the 50-50 challenges and giving the ball straight back with too many touches when we did get it. It was no great surprise when the visitors took the lead after 15 minutes. A simple goal really, ball crossed from the left and a Mere player given time to control it and bang it into the net. Sports had a chance with a free kick on the edge of the box but Leo Hayward's shot flew just past the post. On the half hour mark we went 2 down. The young Mere centre forward waltzed past a couple of weak tackles and squared the ball to his team-mate who sidefooted it into the net. Things were looking black for Sports but we managed to pull one back within a minute. A long ball from the left found JOSH PAYNE at the far post and his header seemed to squirm through the keeper's hands before ending up in the back of the net. Sports were encouraged by this goal and the Mere keeper made a good save from a Rob Wheeler shot as we pressed for the equaliser. The last chance of the half fell to Louis Irwin who unfortunately blasted over the top.

A good end to the half for Westlands so there was some optimism at half-time that we could turn this match around.

Mere had different ideas however, and within 5 minutes of the break had restored their two goal lead. Again a simple goal, ball crossed in from a corner and a free runner bangs his header in. These goals were too easy but as in the first half Sports struck straight back. This time it was a Westlands corner from the left which JOSH PAYNE slammed in for his second goal of the match. Ok, 3-2, surely we could go on and get something out the game with over half an hour left. Next chance was created by Mere and Luke Silcox tipped a goal-bound shot over the bar. On the hour mark Josh Payne thumped in a fierce drive which was well saved by the Mere keeper. We then shot ourselves in the foot by giving away a silly free kick in our own half and failing to defend the kick when it came in. The Mere striker was the first man, and with no defender in front of him, he was allowed to put in a looping header which deceived the keeper and ended up in the back of the net. This goal restored Mere's two goal advantage and really took the wind out of Westland's sails. We huffed and puffed but couldn't really make much impression on a steady Mere defence. Near the end it was Sports keeper who had to make a good save to keep the score respectable.

So it ended 4-2 to the visitors and we can have no complaints about the scoreline. It was a disappointing performance from Westlands and all the players need to ask themselves if they did enough. Plenty then for the manager to ponder but not much time to do it before we play Wareham on saturday.

The first match of the season and the first in the Dorset Premier League for three seasons saw a decent crowd enjoy a sunny day at Alvington Lane. Sports line-up for the match showed a few changes from last season with new signings Lewis Howchin, Rob Wheeler, Sam Beard and Sam Plumley all making their debuts for the senior side. For the first 20 minutes, though, things didn't look too good for Sports as they looked a bit shell-shocked and allowed the visitors to control the match. Westland's keeper Luke Silcox had to be on his toes on a couple of occasions to keep us on level terms but in the 22nd minute Hamworthy took the lead. A corner from the left was whipped in to the near post where it was squeezed past the defender on the line into the net with a deft flick. Westlands had managed a couple of breaks with Leo Hayward looking the main danger foraging down the left wing and it was Leo who stung the keeper's hands with a good run and shot in the 24th minute. Shortly after, Josh Payne created a chance but had his shot blocked but in the 37th minute Sports equalised. Leo Hayward was the creator, getting to the byeline and firing over a low cross which LOUIS IRWIN slotted in from 10 yards. Sports were looking stronger now and the half ended at 1-1 with Westlands beginning to get a foothold in the game.

The second half was only 2 minutes old when Leo Hayward burst clean through but his finish was straight at the keeper. Three minutes later Leo blasted over from a good position as Westlands began to turn the screw. In the 65th minute we got our noses in front for the first time. That man LEO HAYWARD, who was proving a real problem for the Hamworthy defenders, ran on to a bouncing through ball and as the defenders hesitated, he knocked it past the advancing keeper to make it 2-1. Westlands were in full flow now and 5 minutes later we scored again. This time it was JOSH PAYNE who ran through and as the goalkeeper and a defender converged on him he managed to squeeze the ball in at the second attempt. 3-1 to Westlands, surely the points were in the bag. In the 75th minute Sam Beard got his head to a corner and his effort just grazed the crossbar. In the 85th minute we made certain with a 4th goal. A Hamworthy defender saved a goalbound shot with his hand and got the inevitable result, a penalty and a red card ! LEO HAYWARD stepped up for the spot kick and banged it in to make it 4-1 to Sports. There was still time for some late drama in the last minute when Hamworthy were awarded a penalty for a clumsy challenge in the box. Sports keeper Luke Silcox, who saved a penalty in the last match of last season, made it two in a row, diving low to his right to make the save. An excellent end to the match for Sports young keeper who had looked very assured throughout. Also a fine start to the season for Westlands on their return to the DPL. After a sticky start we settled down and in the second half began to play some good football.

Having already won the league, it was a day of no pressure for the team but we wanted to keep our unbeaten run going so a win was the aim. In the end the victory was achieved thanks to a couple of goals from in-form striker CHARLIE GAY, and one each from SAM KING and STEVE ORMROD. A good end to the season with 13 wins on the trot in the run to the title and we look forward to Senior football for the reserves next season.

The task was clear, we needed one point to win the league. We did have another game in hand to get the point but Sports were obviously in the mood to settle things and it was noticeable that most of the regulars had managed to make the trip to Swanage. Missing from the previous game were Sam Beard, Scott Morgan, and Sam King and they were replaced by Ben Cochrane, Steve Rousell and Leon Nicholls with Chris Wells and Dave Beats on the bench.

Westlands meant business and were soon driving at the Swanage backline putting them under pressure. It only took 5 minutes for the first goal to go in. Charlie Gay put over a deep cross from the left and MIKE ROUSELL leapt highest to head in at the far post. It was all over a few minutes later when GARY BOWLES cut inside a defender and thumped the ball into the net to make it 2-0. Swanage hit back with a good move and a final shot which flew past the far post but normal service was quickly resumed with Gary Bowles putting one on a plate for Charlie Gay but he somehow managed to hit the post when it looked easier to score. Westlands were using Charlie Gay's pace to great effect with some good service in behind the Swanage defence and the next goal came when he raced off down the left wing and fired over a cross which a defender headed past his own goalkeeper for an OG ! That made it 3-0 and it wasn't long before number 4 arrived. Mike Rousell fired over a lovely cross from the right and CHARLIE GAY headed in. The Swanage defence were all over the place and Westlands were running riot. CHARLIE GAY fired in number 5 from close range and the final goal of the half came when another ball over the top put CHARLIE GAY away and he finished in style to put Westlands 6-0 up at the break.

Game over and as the second half started it was noticeable that Swanage were putting in a lot of effort to avoid an embarrassing scoreline and with Sports relaxing it was a much more even game. Nevertheless Westlands added a 7th goal midway through the half when Mike Rousell caught the Swanage defence napping with a quick throw in which put DAVE BEATS in and he finished well to make it 7-0. With the game won Westlands began to feel the pace a bit and Swanage came back into the game. STEVE ORMROD, who had formed a solid partnership with Matt Newens at the back, made a superb goal-line clearance after Ben Cochrane appeared to have the ball kicked out of his hands as he went to gather. Ben then made a great save as Swanage tried desperately hard to get on the scoresheet. But Westlands were having none of it and the whistle signalled well deserved celebrations for the Westland lads who had won 12 straight matches to win the league title, great stuff.

The visitor's looked a bit apprehensive in the opening minutes and they had every right to be as Westlands tore into them from the start. They were defending desperately and had an amazing escape after 5 minutes. Martin Herrin drilled in a shot which came crashing off the bar and back into play. The rebound fell at the feet of Gary Bowles who smashed it goalwards again only to see his shot rebound from the bar ! An amazing escape for the visitors but they couldn't keep out a rampant Sports team for long. In the 9th minute a deep cross by Mike Rousell was headed into the roof of the net by JAMIE GREEN and the show was on the road. Two minutes later Steve Ormrod put a through ball into CHARLIE GAY's path and although his shot wasn't hit cleanly it had enough power to go under the keeper's diving body. The floodgates were open now and in the 14th minute came goal number three. Gary Bowles opened up the Borough defence and squared for STEVE ORMROD to sidefoot in. This looked as though it could get embarrassing for Poole but to be fair they dug in a bit after that and only let in one more goal before half-time. That came in the 23rd minute when a long ball from Gary Bowles was turned in at the far post by STEVE ORMROD.

4-0 at half-time and it was just a case of how many Sports would score in the second half. The three substitutes were introduced on the hour mark and a couple of minutes after coming on LEON NICHOLLS thumped the ball in from 10 yards to make it five. In the 62 minute some good work by Ant Herrin set up CHARLIE GAY to score number six. Finally, in the 75th minute came the final goal as Gary Bowles laid one on a plate for LEON NICHOLLS to finish off.

The final 15 minutes were basically a series of Westlands attempts at goal and with a bit of clinical finishing we could have doubled our score. However, nobody cared, it was job done, three points in the bag and a boost to the goal difference. One point needed now from our final two games starting with a tricky fixture away to Swanage on Wednesday evening. Finally, a word of praise to Poole Borough. Although outplayed from the start they stuck to the task and never gave up, battling right to the end so credit for that.

The Reserves grab the headlines this week with their 1-0 victory over league leaders Stourpaine in the top of the table clash at Alvington this afternoon. Hampered by a strong wind and a bumpy pitch both teams struggled to create clear cut chances but Sports were on top for most of the game. The crucial goal came in the second half from who else but skipper JAMIE GREEN whose has led by example all season and scored some crucial goals when we needed them.

At Alvington the Reserves kept the home supporters smiling by coming from 3-1 down to beat Poundbury Rovers 4-3. Skipper JAMIE GREEN led the way with 2 goals and MIKE ROUSELL also bagged 2 including the late winner.

Manager Harry Gibbs rated this Lytchett side as "the best team we have played all season" so the victory was hard-fought. The teams turned round 0-0 at the break and it looked as if one goal would win it. Sports had a golden opportunity midway through the second half to break the deadlock but skipper Jamie Green missed from the spot. However justice was done a couple of minutes later when JAMIE GREEN banged in what turned out to be the winning goal.

A tough fixture this one against a team who were second in the league but Sports soon took control and 2 goals in the first half saw us take a deserved lead at half time. In the second period both teams scored so it ended 3-1 to Sports with DAVE BEATS (2) notching two and CHARLIE GAY one for Westlands who were fairly comfortable in the end.

We had already beaten Bere at their place earlier in the season so this was one we were expecting to win. Sports did the job comfortably with JAMIE BELL (2), STEVE ROUSELL, MIKE ROUSELL, and JOE JARVIS on target.

Kangaroos were the league leaders but Westlands took them apart at Dorchester. The scorers in a top performance from Sports were DAVE BEATS (3), SAM KING, JAMIE GREEN, CHARLIE GAY, DAN THOMPSON and JOE JARVIS.

Down at Dorchester today the reserves had a good 3-1 win against Poundbury Rovers in the Dorset League Div 1. STEVE ORMROD (2) and CHARLIE GAY put Sports in control and a late goal by Poundbury was only a consolation.

It was stalemate for the Reserves today as they returned from Poole with a point after a 2-2 draw with Canford Utd. STEVE ORMROD and PETER BRAY were on target as a scratch Westlands side gained a good point.

Sports went out the cup in the second round going down 4-2 in a game they never really looked like winning. For the second week in a row we had no goalkeeper so Wes Gullin agreed to don the gloves. Westlands were first to push forward and Jamie Green had an early shot which went past the far post. After that things went a bit pear shaped with Somerton banging in two goals to rock us back on our heels. In the fifth minute the ball broke to a Somerton player on the edge of our box and he took a pot shot which bounced awkwardly in front of the keeper and flew into the far corner. A couple of minutes later they almost made it two when a long throw was headed onto the post by the smallest player on the pitch, some dodgy marking there. However it didn't take long for the second goal to come. The Somerton centre half had too much time to look up and ping a long diagonal ball over Westlands back line which was met first time on the volley and once again the ball flew into the far corner. Eleven minutes gone and we were 2-0 down, this was turning into a bit of a disaster. Nevertheless, Sports stuck to the task and although the visitors were always dangerous on the attack, we managed to carve out a couple of chances before the break. First Dave Beats headed back across goal and Sam Beard put a header just over the bar and the second chance came from another header, this time Sam King putting it over the top. Half-time 0-2.

A two goal deficit looked a daunting task for Sports in the second half but straight from the kick off sub Steve Ormrod went charging down the left wing and pulled the ball across to Mike Rousell who missed the target from about six yards. Westlands were pushing forward now and 2 minutes into the half got that crucial goal we were looking for. STEVE ORMROD did the business, turning on the edge of the box and firing a shot into the top corner. Westlands were back in it but 10 minutes later we lost a third when a Somerton player waltzed through our defence, evaded a couple of poor attempts at tackles, and squared the ball to a team-mate who stuck it away. That took the wind out our sails and though we tried hard we weren't really making much impression. In the 75th minute they made it 4-1. A Westlands defender gave the ball away and the Somerton attacker said thanks very much and coolly lobbed the keeper. The game was over but Sports made the scoreline look a bit better with another goal 10 minutes from the end. WES GULLIN, who was now playing at centre half and looking pretty solid, went up for a corner and forced the ball over the line in a bit of a goalmouth scramble. At 4-2 if Sports could have managed another goal it might have been interesting but we never really looked like scoring and in the end the best side won. Somerton were clinical in their finishing, everything they hit seemed to end in the back of the net, and all round they looked a handy team who should do well this season. As for Sports, well, we are still struggling to get any cohesion in the side and overall there seemed to be a lack of cup tie spirit on the day.

The reserves bagged three points today with a 4-2 win at Bere Regis in the Dorset League Div 1. The hosts took the lead but SAM PLUMLEY brought Sports level and JAMIE GREEN put us in front at half-time. In the second half Bere Regis equalised to make it 2-2 but skipper JAMIE GREEN led from the front scoring twice to give Sports the points.

First game on the road for the reserves and a fruitless exercise it turned out to be. As in previous games, Sports had their chances but failed to take them. As the game drifted on the home side eventually stuck one away and that was it really. Before the end they made it two to secure three rather easy points.

At Alvington in a Dorset League Division 1 fixture the reserves took on Swanage Town Reserves and beat them 3-1 thanks to two goals from STEVE ORMROD (2) and one from MIKE ROUSELL. Manager's man of the match went to NAT CARNEY for a non-stop hard working display in midfield.

The first round of the Somerset Junior Cup saw Sports see off their Bristol opponents fairly easily.Fry's had a man sent off in the first half and Sports took control from then on. Goals from JAMIE GREEN, STEVE ORMROD and JOE JARVIS sealed the victory.

Sat. 6th Sept 2014, Dorset League Div. 1

WESTLANDSPORTS RES 2 SHAFTESBURY RES 2

The new Westlands Reserve team played their first game in the Dorset League Div 1 and got their first point on the board with a 2-2 draw with Shaftesbury Reserves at Alvington. After going behind JAMIE GREEN (2) scored twice to put Sports in front but a late penalty gave Shaftesbury a share of the points.

The Under 18 side finished their season with a disappointing 2-1 home defeat to Parley Sports at Alvington yesterday. A penalty kick saw the visitors take the lead in the 14th minute but CALLUM THOMPSON equalised 5 minutes later also from the spot. Two minutes into the 2nd half Parley took the lead after a free kick was flicked on by their gangly forward and although Sports pressed forward for most of the rest of the half we couldn't find the back of the net and the visitors were content to play out time and take the points.

Our Under 18s bowed out of the League Cup yesterday losing 3-1 to Bournemouth Sports at Alvington. Westlands handed their opponents an early lead with an OG and then proceeded to miss chance after chance before CALLUM THOMPSON eventually equalised after 35 minutes. We then fell for the sucker punch, immediately conceding after a long punt upfield caught our defence flat-footed. In the second half we pressed and pressed but Bournemouth had parked the bus and we didn't have the composure to break down the massed ranks. In the 70 minute we gave the ball away in our own half and were punished by a third goal. We kept pressing but couldn't break down a well organised Bournemouth defence. Their keeper was definitely man-of-the-match but after hitting the bar 3 times and missing so many gilt-edged chances we felt this was one that got away.

Our Under 18 side battled through to the next round of the League Cup with a 4-1 victory in extra time against Parley Sports at Alvington yesterday.

The two sides served up an enthralling match on the perfect surface of pitch 2 although the match ended 0-0 after 90 minutes as Westlands tried to break down a well marshalled Parley defence.

The breakthrough eventually came in the opening spell of extra time when CALLUM THOMPSON prodded an Adam Pullen pass into the corner of the net. In the second spell of extra time the game opened up and Westlands added a second when DAN QUIRKE smashed a free kick from the edge of the box into the roof of the net. Three minutes later Parley got one back with a high dipping cross-shot finding the top corner. It was goals galore now as Westlands immediately hit back , SAM WATTS slamming the ball in after good work from Adam Pullen. Finally with just 5 minutes of extra time left Westlands put the game out of sight when ADAM PULLEN jinked into the box past a couple of defenders and drove the ball into the far corner. A good win for Westlands, and although Parley made it extremely difficult for us, we were patient and got our reward in the end. Both teams put on a good performance that was a good advert for youth football.

Under 18s served up 12 goals with an 8-4 win over Bridport on sunday. The match produced an incredible

fight back as Westlands, who had been trailing 4-2 at half-time, turned on a scintillating second half performance to score 6 goals and finish easy winners. CALLUM THOMPSON led the way with a hatrick, ADAM PULLEN had two, and SAM WATTS, JAMES BUDDEN and JOE JARVIS had one each.

Our Under 18 side continued their poor form by going down 1-0 to Bridport at Beaminster yesterday. The pitch was a bit of a leveller but Sports still dominated for most of the game and even managed to miss 2 penalties in a match that should have been sewn up. Aron Wallis and Sam Watts were the spot-kick villains in a poor result for Westlands.

Westlands Under18s crashed out the Dorset FA Youth Cup at the last hurdle yesterday, losing 5-2 to

Bournemouth Sports in the semi-final at Chapel Gate. Westlands suffered from a lack of commitment from members of the squad and failure to prepare properly for the game from others. Nevertheless we were 2-1 up thanks to two excellently taken goals from ADAM PULLEN (2) when a show of petulance saw Seamus Beard sent off. Bournemouth managed to grab an equaliser with 5 minutes remaining and we were left to face extra time with 10 men. This was beyond us and our opponents went on to score 3 more goals to claim their place in the final. This was a game we could have won but on the day let ourselves down. Our opponents were a good, hard working side so good luck to them in the final.

We went down 4-1 at Hamworthy in pouring rain from start to finish. Despite a lack of numbers the 11 lads can be proud of a battling performance against the team who clinched the title with their win. The final result flattered the home team a bit as Sports were always in the game but failed to convert several good chances. The third and fourth goals for the home side were also wicked deflections which left keeper Jake Symes wrong footed so in reflection, not as bad a result as it looks. TOM FARTHING was the man on target for Sports getting on the end of a corner kick to power home a header in the 19th minute. This put us back on level terms as Hamworthy had gone ahead in the 11th minute when a weak defensive tackle allowed their player a shot which crept in at the corner. They went ahead in the 34th minute when we all stood still at a corner so it was 2-1 at half-time. Then came those two deflections in the second half which made the game safe

This match effectively killed off any chance we of winning the league, and a stream of yellow cards by the referee saw our challenge end on a sour note with 3 players receiving reds as a result of two yellows. Eventually the result was settled by a penalty for Parley 5 minutes from the end in a game that is best forgotten.

We had won on our previous visit to Rossgarth but had also dropped three points to them in a 3-3 draw at Alvington so a tough game was expected. Jake Cowie replaced Tom Farthing in central defence and that was the only change from the team that beat Parley 7-1 in our last game. It was a bitterly cold day and a strong wind blowing down the pitch end to end would undoubtedly spoil the game. And so it proved as both teams struggled to play any constructive football. Westlands looked the more likely side but it was Rossgarth who took the lead after 15 minutes. This was a bit of shambolic defending by the Sports rearguard. I don’t really know what happened, everyone seemed to stand still and leave it to one another, there was no communication and the Rossgarth forward was as surprised as we were when he was left with an open goal and he knocked the ball into the back of the net. We didn’t panic, just kept pushing forward trying to create something and it didn’t take long for the equaliser to come. Six minutes, to be precise, when a free kick into the opposition box was flicked on by Scott Morgan for SAM WATTS to prod the ball into the net and make it 1-1. We kept toiling away in the wind but neither team were really creating any clear cut chances although Westlands always looked in control of the game. A minute before half-time we took the lead. A long diagonal ball by Johnny Ireland was knocked down by Adam Pullen into the path of SAM WATTS who blasted the ball into the back of the net from 15 yards. A nice goal and one which gave us a deserved half-time lead, 2-1.

Rossgarth were having difficulty creating any real clearcut chances so we thought another goal for Sports would probably finish the game off. It only took us 15 minutes to score that crucial third goal and what a goal it was. Adam Pullen swung in a corner from the left which was headed clear by the Rossgarth defence. Unfortunately for them the ball fell to ARON WALLIS some 20 yards out and he volleyed a screamer straight into the roof of the net. A classic goal which even drew applause from the opposition supporters. That was the game over as a contest, and the match was played out to a conclusion without any incidents worthy of note. The appearance of Homer Simpson on the touchline in the second half did provide some light relief for the shivering spectators but I think everyone was happy to hear the final whistle, including the players. Another three points for Sports which keeps things going the only note of caution being the disappointing goal we conceded by a lack of communication at the back.

After the good win against Parley (7-1) two weeks ago there was no need for changes but with Callum Thomson and Joe Jarvis unavailable Tom Farthing and Steve Flynn returned to the starting line-up. Seamus Beard returned to the bench after suspension and he was joined by Jake Cowie. The surface was badly cut up after saturday's game but Westlands hit the ground running and took the lead after only 4 minutes on the clock. JAMES BUDDEN completely mis-hit a cross from the right and his trundling shot completely deceived the keeper and found the back of the net. Sports were looking the part and Adam Pullen had a crack at goal which the keeper saved. In the 15th minute we made it 2-0. Liam Stobbs skinned the left back for pace and his pinpoint cross was tucked away by ADAM PULLEN. Corfe Mullen had a big Crouchesque number 9 and a speedy 10 up front who were causing our defence one or two problems. On a couple of occasions only the offside flag stopped their number 10 from getting in. In the 27th minute a good break by Corfe saw George Irvine make a good save. Ten minutes later there was an almighty scramble in the Corfe goalmouth following a Westlands corner. The initial cross was headed against the crossbar and when it came down Sports had a least three attempts to force it over the line but they were all blocked. The presssure told in the 42nd minute when Liam Stobbs raced away down the right leaving three defenders sprawling in his wake and once again when he laid the ball across the goalmouth ADAM PULLEN was on hand to score with a low shot. As we are inclined to do at times we switched off waiting for the halftime whistle and allowed the visitors to pull one back. Some slack marking saw one of their midfielders unmarked in the box and his shot was scuffed but managed to find the corner of the net.

That was the final action of the half and although we were pleased to go in 3-1 up we were a little bit annoyed that we had conceded a soft goal at the end. During the break manager Jason Irvine decided to make a change to the back line and Jake Cowie was brought on to replace Tom Farthing who had missed the previous game through illness and was feeling the pace a bit.

As you would expect Corfe Mullen had a good talking to at half time and with nothing to lose, upped their effort a bit at the start of the half. However they failed to trouble our keeper and after the initial 10 minutes it was back to normal with Sports on the attack. In the 57th minute LIAM STOBBS latched on to a through ball and slotted it past the keeper as he came out to make it 4-1. On the hour mark George Irvine had to make his first save of the half, saving well from a free kick. At this point Johnny Ireland came off nursing a hip injury and Seamus Beard took the field. It was noticeable at this stage that the visitors had adopted a more physical approach to the game and were flying into tackles cheered on by their bench. This led to a few confrontations as the Westlands lads reacted but luckily it all settled down again in the 80th minute when we scored our fifth goal. ADAM PULLEN ran on to a through ball and slotted it nicely past the keeper. Corfe Mullen gave up the ghost now and three minutes later that man ADAM PULLEN again ran through a tired defence, rounded the keeper, and scored to make it 6-1. Then in the last minute JAMES BUDDEN rubbed salt in their wounds by repeating the feat, running through the static defence and dribbling round the keeper to steer the ball into the empty net.

That was the end of the match and for the second week in a row we have won 7-1 !! Another good performance and considering the state of the pitch a good game of football provided by both sides. Adam Pullen took my man of the match honours for his four goal haul but there were good performances from everyone.

We hadn't played Parley yet in the league so they were a bit of an unknown quantity but Westlands had a couple of good wins behind them so at home we were looking for three points. We got control of the ball straight from the start and after a couple of minutes Callum Thompson, who was making his season debut, had a shot saved by the visiting keeper. Parley were looking a bit off the pace and Sports were quick to punish them. In the 8th minute we opened the scoring with a cracking goal. Sam Watts put a deep cross over from the right wing and JOE JARVIS met it on the full as it dropped and volleyed the ball into the roof of the net from 15yards. A stunning finish and some good technique by Joe, keeping his eye on the ball. In the 12th minute it was 2-0. Liam Stobbs made a good run down the right and squared the ball to JAMES BUDDEN who smashed it into the net from close range. Parley were shell-shocked now and in the 16th minute we added the third goal. A corner from the right was driven low across goal and as the defence stood still SCOTT MORGAN ran in and scored with a stooping header. Parley were in trouble now but in the 20th minute they were handed a lifeline. Having been awarded a pretty soft free kick on the edge of the box a Parley player curled a lovely free kick round the wall and into the far corner with Sports keeper George Irvine a spectator. At 3-1 could that goal spark a fightback from Parley ? No was the answer as in the 28th minute Westlands increased their lead to 4-1 with another goal. Ben Kearvel played a nice ball in behind the Parley defence and JAMES BUDDEN raced through, rounded the keeper and stroked the ball into the empty net. Their were no more goals in the half so we went into the break with a handy 4-1 lead.

As often happens, the half-time interval seemed to kill the momentum and the second half saw Sports a lot more subdued than they had been in the first. For Parley the reverse was the case, they had let themselves down a bit in the first half so they came out battling with nothing to lose. The result was a much more even game with neither side able to create any decent scoring chances. Then fate dealt Parley a cruel blow when one of their players went down with an ankle injury and had to be helped off. Unfortunately this meant they were down to ten men as they had used all their subs. Sports should have taken advantage but the passing was now careless and people were having too many touches. Eventually, however, we managed to break through in the 75th minute. Johnny Ireland put over a cross from the right and JAMES BUDDEN notched his hat-trick with a looping header. Incredibly another Parley player then got injured and when he left the field they were down to 9 men ! To be fair to the 9 men they worked really hard and kept Westlands at bay until three minutes from the end when LIAM STOBBS stabbed the ball in from close range after he was set up by a good run from Aron Wallis. Then in the dying seconds of the match JAMES BUDDEN scored his fourth of the day and Sports seventh when he ran through the tiring Parley defence, rounded the keeper, and slotted the ball in from an acute angle. Another high scoring win for Westlands and another three points so a good day. Perhaps we could have done better when Parley were depleted in the second half but at the end of the day a 7-1 victory has to be good.

Westlands made one change from the team that won well in the cup last week with Steve Flynn starting in midfield and Joe Jarvis dropping to the bench. Sports looked sluggish in the early stages, continually conceding possession to the opposition who took advantage with an early goal in the 10th minute. Their number 10 cut inside from the left, walked past a couple of weak tackles and thumped a right foot shot into the net. Not a promising start, but as the game progressed we began to play a bit better and started to string a few passes together. After 32 minutes we equalised when Adam Pullen made a great run into the opposition half and put a lovely ball into JAMES BUDDEN who ran on and drove a low shot past the keeper. Three minutes later we were in front. ADAM PULLEN struck a sweet free kick which went over the wall and beat the keeper all ends up. We stayed in front until 4 minutes from half-time when George Irvine in Sports goal tried a little dinked pass out to a defender and the Bournemouth left winger intercepted and walked the ball into the empty net. A bit of a blow for Westlands as we had worked hard to get back in front after the early loss. Nevertheless we had seen enough in the first half to realise the Bournemouth defence were a bit slow and James Budden and Adam Pullen were causing them some problems. If we stuck to our game plan we felt we could win this one.

Three minutes into the second half and Sports were awarded a free kick out on the left. ADAM PULLEN stepped up and his driven cross towards the far post was missed by everyone and ended up in the back of the net. Poppies were reeling now and two minutes later we made it 4-2. Adam Pullen was in the thick of the action again, this time setting up JAMES BUDDEN to score. Westlands were rampant now and in the 55th minute made it 5-2. Liam Stobbs put in a cross from the right and JAMES BUDDEN was again on the spot to complete his hat-trick. That also completed the scoring for the afternoon as Sports were now content to play out time and although Bournemouth had a couple of chances they couldn't get back into the game. A late injury to Steve Flynn saw him removed to casualty for three stitches in a rather deep cut on his shin.

A very satisfactory result from Westlands point of view and now we have played 10 games there are some signs that the team are becoming more confident in their abilities. We are also becoming more tactically aware and are now developing as a team. We won't get carried away but progress has been made and its a pity really that we now have two weeks off as we are in a good run. For today's match Adam Pullen gets my vote for man of the match.

We drew 3-3 with these opponents last week in the league so we were determined to not make the same mistakes this time round. We stuck with the same 11 as last week but adjusted the formation slightly just to give us some more defensive solidity. Both sides were a bit cagy at the start and a wary of each other. Westlands were looking fairly comfortable in possession and several promising moves just broke down with the final pass sometimes a bit ambitious. Rossgarth were showing some pace on the break, but their left winger, who we knew was a dangerman, was being kept in check byJohnny Ireland who had been detailed to mark him. As the half was drawing to a close we made the breakthrough with a quick one-two which left Rossgarth reeling. First ARON WALLIS picked up the ball on the edge of the box and fired in a low shot which beat the gangly keeper all ends up. Then, before our opponents could draw breath, ADAM PULLEN drove into the box and fired in number two. What a turn up, 2-0 at half time was a surprise given the timing but we were the better side and had always looked the most likely team to score.

With a two goal lead we were in a good position and we didn't need to go gung-ho in the second half, just keep our shape. A couple of minutes into the half Seamus Beard picked up a yellow card for a strong tackle. Sports pushed forward and a free kick pumped into the box saw the referee pointing to the spot for a push in the back. Sam Watts stepped up to take the kick and his rather weak sidefoot effort was saved by the diving keeper. Fortunately for Sam the eagle eyed referee Mr Hughes had spotted some infringement by two Rossgarth players and ordered the kick to be retaken. SAM WATTS stepped up again and this time he put his foot through the ball and thumped it into the back of the net. That made it 3-0 to Westlands and it looked as if the writing was on the wall for the crestfallen Rossgarth side. Then after about 70 minutes Seamus Beard picked up another yellow for another strong tackle. A bit harsh I thought but that meant a red and we were down to ten men. We sacrificed a forward and put on another midfielder just to keep the defence solid and for the next 10 minutes we kept it tight in a disciplined performance by the lads. In the 82nd minute we killed off any chance Rossgarth may have had of getting back into the game when we scored goal number 4. Liam Stobbs skinned the fullback for pace, cut in along the byeline and fired the ball across the face where it was turned into his own net by a defender. An OG, no doubt about that but I think Adam Pullen was waiting to convert the cross anyway. At this point one of the Rossgarth players had to go off injured and as they had used their subs, they were down to ten men the same as us. Four minutes later we scored again. STEVE FLYNN was put clear down the right and beat the keeper with a beautifully struck lobbed finish. Rossgarth heads were down now and in the last minute we scored again. It was a cool finish from SAM WATTS who controlled the ball in a crowded box and casually rolled it into the corner of the net. That was it, 6-0 to Westlands and in the semi-final of the cup, a good victory with every player playing his part in a good team performance. Man of the match was skipper Scott Morgan who marshalled the defence to only our second clean sheet of the season.

Having beaten Rossgarth 6-2 on their own ground six weeks ago this looked a good opportunity to put another three points on the board. We kept an unchanged side after last week's good win at Corfe Mullen so all the omens were good. The win looked odds on after 12 minutes when JAMES BUDDEN headed in at the far post to make it 1-0. A couple of minutes later Sam Watts shot just past the post as Sports kept up the pressure. In the 18th minute it was 2-0 when their keeper dropped a corner and JAMES BUDDEN was on hand to tap in. Next Joe Jarvis shot wide and then an Adam Pullen shot from point blank range was somehow deflected for a corner. Rossgarth had only shown the odd flash of attacking play, mainly through their lively little left winger but in the 37th minute they missed a sitter, missing the target from a couple of yards out. Nevertheless the warnings were there and a minute later they reduced the deficit with a good shot from the edge of the box. 2-1 was the half-time score and Sports could only reflect over the break that the game should have been all over in the first half with the chances we had.

We took control in the early minutes of the second half and in the 50th minute scored again. Aron Wallis, who had replced Sam Watts at the break, picked out James Budden on the edge of the box with a pinpoint cross. James turned his man and fed ADAM PULLEN who held off his man and planted the ball into the far corner of the net. It was a well worked goal and at 3-1 surely now we could go on and win this one fairly easily. We continued to press and chances came and went. James Budden hit the bar with a good header from a corner and then forced the Rossgarth keeper to make a good save to deny him his hat-trick. In the 75th minute Adam Pullen went close with a shot which went inches past the far post. So, with 10 minutes to go and a two goal lead, perhaps it would have been more prudent to keep it tight and just protect what we had. However we kept chasing more goals and in the end it cost us dear. In the 82nd minute a long ball out of the Rossgarth defence was missed by the Sports defenders and the little winger raced through and buried a shot in the far corner. Sports stood around looking at each other and within a minute we conceded again. This time we were caught outnumbered at the back with too many players not getting behind the ball and the Rossgarth attackers had a man over to score and make it 3-3. Our opponents now believed they could win the game and we had to work hard to keep them at bay in the last few minutes. The final whistle saw the visitor's celebrating and the Westland lads shaking their heads in disbelief.

Hopefully there were lessons learned in this match. Sports workrate in the latter stages was not good enough as some players obviously thought the game was won and they didn't need to track back. The other lesson is that you don't get any more points for winning a game by 5-1 than you do for winning 3-1 so you don't need to keep chasing more goals. Anyway, it all makes for a very interesting Dorset FA Youth Cup quarter-final next sunday between the same two teams at the same venue.

We were a bit slow to get going but a quick 1-2 on the half hour mark by JAMES BUDDEN and ADAM PULLEN put us in front at half-time. A quick goal 3 minutes into the second half by LIAM STOBBS put us three up but a soft penalty conceded by keeper George Irvine gave Corfe Mullem just a glimmer of hope. Westlands continued to dominate the game though and 2 late goals from SAM WATTS (2) made the points safe.

Sports were totally outplayed by their top-of -the table opponents and found themselves trailing 4-0 at the interval. However we made a bit of a revival in the second half and goals from JOHNNY IRELAND and JAMES BUDDEN made the score more respectable. Westlands line up: G.Irvine, J.Cowie, A.Hodges, S.Watts, S.Morgan, J.Ireland, T.Farthing, J.Jarvis, S.Flynn, A.Wallis, J.Budden. Subs: L.Stobbs, A.Pullen.

Sunday 2nd Nov 2014, Dorset FA Youth (U18) Cup, Rnd 2

BRIDPORT 0 WESTLAND SPORTS 4

A sound 4-0 win over Bridport at Beaminster sealed Sports place in the Quarter-finals of the Dorset FA Youth (U18) Cup. Playing uphill and against the wind in the first half Westlands defended well and turning round at

0-0 we felt we could turn the screw in the second half. It only took us a minute of the second half to go in front, SAM WATTS getting his head on a free-kick. Further goals fron STEVE FLYNN and ADAM PULLEN made the game safe before SAM WATTS netted again at the death to rub salt in the wound. A good display by the Westlands lads with a good game plan which was executed perfectly.

Our Under 18 side made the long trip to Bournemouth and then produced a lack-lustre display to lose 1-0 to Bournemouth Poppies. Sports never got going and a goal midway through the second half sealed our fate.

It was a long journey to Verwood for this match but the lads made it all worthwhile with an excellent win. It's always strange how so many players can find an excuse not to play if it's an away game or if its raining ! Nevertheless, manager Jason Irvine got a squad of 12 together (was 13, one just didn't turn up !) and they turned in probably the best performance of the season, particularly in the first half.

We took control of the ball straight away and opened the scoring in 2 minutes ! Sam Watts lifted a lovely pass over the Rossgarth defence for ADAM PULLEN to run onto and he drove the ball in for the opener. Sports were cutting the Rossgarth defence apart at will and in 8 minutes Aron Wallis headed past the keeper only to see the ball scrambled off the line. In the 10th minute we went two up. A neat through ball from Seamus Beard put ARON WALLIS in the clear and he slipped the ball under the advancing keeper and into the net. From then on Westlands played some good passing football and the chances continued to come. James Budden had a shot which went wide, Seamus Beard hit the bar with a cute lob and a good shot from Liam Stobbs went past the post. Eventually the goal we deserved came in the 40th minute. JAMES BUDDEN was floored in the box and stepped up himself to slot the penalty in the corner. That was all the scoring for the first half and the 3-0 scoreline reflected Sports superiority throughout.

Obviously the home team, with nothing to lose, would come out fighting in the second half and they did for a couple of minutes until Westlands bagged another to make it 4-0. A hard driven cross from the left was met at the far post by LIAM STOBBS and he rifled the ball into the roof of the net. That really should have put paid to Rossgarth but we then proceeded to give them some encouragement by conceding a couple of soft goals. In the 65th minute a Rossgarth player cut in from the left wing, evaded a weak tackle and put a shot past Sports keeper at his near post. Not a good goal to lose but only a consolation, or so we thought ! In the 75 minute they scored again to make it 4-2 ! A long free kick from almost the centre line was pumped into the Sports box. Our keeper came charging out, missed the ball, and a Rossgarth player planted a header into the empty net. Prior to this George Irvine, our keeper, could count himself a bit lucky not to have seen a red card when he came charging out his area and barged into an opponent, taking him out completely. Most officials would have been reaching for the red card but luckily we had a referee that didn't like paperwork as he didn't even show the yellow ! Anyway, at 4-2 could Rossgarth make a comeback ? The answer to that was no as Westlands quickly re-established their superiority and began to press forward again. In the 84th minute Aron Wallis made a good run to the byeline and cut the ball back for JAMES BUDDEN to sidefoot in from close range. Finally with a minute to go we put the final nail in Rossgarth's coffin with the sixth goal. ARON WALLIS scored it with a lovely first time volley that gave the keeper no chance. Final score 6-2 and an excellent result away from home. Apart from a bit of kamikaze goalkeeping it could have been a bigger victory but we can be well satisfied as the team played some lovely football on a poor surface and made that long journey home more enjoyable !

After a defeat in the previous game Westlands were looking for a win here and quickly took control of this match. We were playing some nice football with some crisp passing and with Sam Watts continuing in his midfield role we were dominating possession. An early injury to Ben Kearvell disrupted things slightly but Steve Flynn took his place and we soon settled down to control the game. The opening goal came in the 25th minute. A nice through ball put DAN QUIRKE in behind the Corfe defence and he lifted the ball over the keeper to make it 1-0 to Westlands. Three minutes later we literally gave Corfe Mullen the equaliser. Sports keeper and a defender made a hash of a goal kick and gifted the ball to Corfe's lanky Crouchesque centre forward and he delicately chipped the ball into the net. A bad blunder there but luckily, within 2 minutes, Westlands were able to put things right with a second goal. JAKE COWIE made ground down the right and fired over a long cross towards the far post which deceived the keeper and ended up in the back of the net. Well, they all count and with Sports back in front we went looking for more goals. In the 39th minute we made it 3-1 with a lovely goal. Dan Quirke drove a free kick into the box and a glancing header from skipper SCOTT MORGAN deceived the keeper. There was no holding Westlands now and five minutes later we added another. Adam Pullen burst through the Corfe Mullen defence and was upended by the goalkeeper for a penalty. Up stepped SAM WATTS to take the kick and he coolly stroked the ball into the corner with the keeper going the other way.

It had been a good half for Westlands and with a 4-1 half-time lead surely the points were there for the taking.

The second half proved to be a bit more even than the first as Corfe Mullen had nothing to lose and began to get stuck in with some physical challenges. Westlands on the other hand didn't need to be too adventurous and seemed quite content to play a containing game. And so the game drifted on with the visitors probably having the edge in possession but not really creating much to really worry the Sports rearguard. Until the 70th minute that was when Corfe Mullen were awarded a penalty. There is no doubt a player was pulled back but the incident was clearly well outside the box. However the official gave the penalty because the player fell inside the box (his words not mine !). This gave the visitors some encouragement but that was finally extinguished in the 85th minute with the 5th Westlands goal. Sam Watts played a nice ball in behind the defence and JAMES BUDDEN ran through to slip the ball under the keeper into the back of the net.

That was the final action as Sports wrapped up the three points with a good win that was well deserved. We played some good football in spells and both their goals were preventable so, all in all, a good day.

Hamworthy were undefeated and we could immediately see why as they passed the ball around ith great confidence in the early stages. Westlands were finding the going tough but stuck to the task and kept the oppositions scoring chances to a minumum. A half time score of 0-0 flattered Sports slightly but we had kept our shape well so deserved some reward.

The first goal was going to be crucial in this game and it was no real surprise when Hamworthy opened the scoring shortly after the break. With Westland heads going down slightly the soon added another and at 2-0 we looked down and out. However, with nothing to lose, we began to get stronger and come into the game. Perhaps Hamworthy relaxed a bit as well thinking the game was won, but either way the tide had turned and it was Sports who were now making the running. Sam Watts had moved forward from his defensive role and was proving a tower of strength in the midfield, driving the team on. However the goal we needed would not come until it was really too late, ARON WALLIS getting the final touch after a bit of a goalmouth scramble. Try as they might Westlands could not get an equaliser and Hamworthy held on for what was probably a deserved victory.

No disgrace in this defeat for the Westland lads and the improved showing in the second half gives some confidence for the matches ahead.

Sam Watts was Westlands hero as he scored in the 95th minute to give Sports a deserved point in their Dorset Youth League match away to Bridport on Sunday. Bridport's blatant time wasting in the second half came back to haunt them as SAM WATTS powered through the home defence, rounded the keeper, and slotted the ball into the net for a fine goal. Westlands had a poor first half but turned round 2-2 thanks to some clinical finishing from DAN QUIRKE (2), who twice got in behind the Bridport defence to score, and several good saves from George Irvine the Westlands keeper.

Sports took control in the second half but shot ourselves in the foot with an hour gone when we gifted their forward a goal to put them ahead 3-2. Westlands pressured the home goal for the last half hour but couldn't get the equaliser. A Sam Watts header came crashing off the crossbar and the ensuing melee saw the ball scrambled off the line to safety. Then came that dramatic equaliser which was no more than Sports deserved but we need to improve on that first half display next week when we meet top of the table Hamworthy Utd.

Westlands youth team made a good start by kicking off their Dorset County Youth League programme with a 3-2 win over Bournemouth Poppies at Alvington. Dec Cornish was an early casualty when a high tackle saw him carried off and taken to Yeovil Hospital, he was replaced by Alex Hodges. Then, having survived some early pressure, we unfortunately lost the first goal just on the stroke of half-time to go into the break one down. In the second half Sports manager Jason Irvine played his joker by introducing last year's top scorer DAN QUIRKE as a sub and within a minute Dan lobbed the Bournemouth keeper to equalise. Better was to follow as Sports were now on top and five minutes later DAN QUIRKE battled through a couple of tackles and thumped the ball in to put Sports in front. With 20 minutes to go and with Westlands looking fairly comfortable, disaster struck. An opposition attacker broke into the box and our keeper George Irvine raced out to try to win the ball. Unfortunately the attacker got his toe to it first and the result was inevitable. The lad went down, the penalty was given, and the red card was shown to George. Sam Watts took over in goal but he had no chance with the penalty and it was 2-2. Things looked bleak for Sports now with 10 men but the lads knuckled down, and with Tom Farthing looking composed at the back, continued to make chances. With 10 minutes to go, DAN QUIRKE outmuscled the Poppies centre-half and stuck the ball away to make it 3-2 to the ten men ! Sports held on for an excellent victory and a good three points in what will be a very competitive league.